Watch Stucco (2019), a chilling horror short film by Janina Gavankar & Russo Schelling. Spine-tingling suspense awaits—don’t miss it! 🎥👻
🪞 Stucco (2019) — Horror Short Film by Janina Gavankar & Russo Schelling
A surreal, skin‑crawling blend of psychological and body horror, Stucco turns the walls of a home into a living metaphor for anxiety, depression, and the monsters we make in our heads. Co‑written, co‑directed, and fronted by Janina Gavankar alongside Russo Schelling, this 18‑minute short is as much an arthouse mood piece as it is a midnight‑program shocker.
🧭 Overview
- Genre: Horror / Psychological / Body Horror
- Directors & Writers: Janina Gavankar & Russo Schelling
- Lead cast: Janina Gavankar (J), Michael Ealy, Colton Haynes, Bel Powley, Rafael Casal, Leslie Odom Jr., Deborah Ann Woll, Debra Messing, Rutina Wesley, Aisha Tyler, Amy Forsyth — an unusually star‑studded ensemble for a short.
- Runtime: ~18 minutes
- Premiere: SXSW Midnight Shorts Competition 2020
- Awards: 6 wins & 8 nominations across genre festivals
- Country: USA
- Language: English
Watch Full shorts:
📖 Story in Brief
J is an agoraphobic woman trying to make her new house feel like home. While hanging art, she accidentally knocks a hole in the wall… and discovers a hollow space beyond.
What starts as curiosity becomes obsession. The hole seems to breathe, beckon, and promise escape — or annihilation. As J’s mental state frays, the line between her inner demons and whatever lurks behind the wall dissolves.
By the time she decides to break through, the “other side” is no longer just plaster and paint — it’s a living, writhing embodiment of everything she’s been trying to keep out… and in.
🛠️ Creative “Tools” & Style
- Monster as metaphor: The wall cavity becomes a physical stand‑in for depression, anxiety, and toxic relationships.
- Claustrophobic framing: Cinematographer Quyen Tran uses odd, god‑like angles and shifting perspectives to make a safe space feel hostile.
- Minimal dialogue: Relies on atmosphere, sound design, and physical performance to tell the story.
- Practical + surreal FX: Hair, slime, teeth — tactile horrors that feel uncomfortably real.
- Influences: Apartment‑set paranoia classics like Repulsion (1965), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), and Possession (1981).
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
Pros
- 🎯 Strong metaphor: Mental illness visualised in a way that’s visceral and memorable.
- 🎭 Committed lead: Gavankar’s performance sells both the vulnerability and the descent into obsession.
- 🎥 Visual craft: Single‑location shooting turned into an advantage.
- 🌌 Arthouse edge: Striking imagery that lingers after the credits.
Cons
- 🌀 Abstract narrative: Viewers wanting a clear, linear plot may find it opaque.
- 🩸 Body horror factor: Not for the squeamish — the imagery is intentionally uncomfortable.
🌟 Key Features
- High‑profile cameos: Debra Messing as J’s therapist (Skyped in live), Deborah Ann Woll, Rutina Wesley, Aisha Tyler, and more.
- Therapy origins: The script began as a personal processing exercise for Schelling and Gavankar, later evolving into a film.
- SXSW pedigree: Selected for the festival’s famously weird and unsettling Midnight Shorts block.
- Single‑location mastery: Turns a modest set into a shifting, uncanny space.
🎯 Use Cases & Applications
- Film studies: Example of using horror to externalise internal struggles.
- Mental health discussions: A conversation starter about the weight of “staying inside” — literal and figurative.
- Cinematography classes: Study in making one location visually dynamic.
👥 Who Is It For?
- Horror fans: Especially lovers of psychological and body horror hybrids.
- Arthouse audiences: Viewers who enjoy metaphor‑heavy, ambiguous storytelling.
- Filmmakers: Looking for inspiration on how to stretch a small space and budget into something cinematic.
💡 Humanized Takeaway
Stucco 2019 short film isn’t just about a hole in the wall — it’s about the holes we live with inside ourselves. Gavankar and Schelling literalise that gnawing emptiness, showing how isolation can warp perception until even your own home turns against you.
🔍 Find More & Support
- SYFY WIRE interview — Gavankar & Schelling on horror influences, mental health metaphor, and landing A‑list cameos.
- IMDb page for Stucco — full cast, crew, and awards.
- Short of the Week review — deep dive into its SXSW premiere and thematic layers.