‘Howl at the Dead’ – The Pets Are the Main Characters in This Haunted House Horror Short

It’s always strange when two movies come along around the same time with around the same idea, but it happens more often than you’d think. While we wait for Good Boy, the haunted house movie from the perspective of a canine protagonist, Gregg Bishop (Dance of the Dead, SiREN, V/H/S: Viral) has released his award-winning short film Howl at the Dead this week.

Howl at the Dead also takes the approach of telling a haunted house story from the perspective of the pets, including a dog, a cat, and a talking parrot. It’s described as “a gateway, Amblin-style horror short inspired by classics like Poltergeist, Frankenweenie, and E.T.,” and while it’s got a few really strong jump scares, it’s also likely to warm even the coldest of hearts.

After premiering at Screamfest 2023, the short horror film went on to play the Fantasia International Film Festival, Panic Fest, SoHo Horror Film Festival, and won Best Genre Short at the Mammoth Film Festival. Bishop said in a statement, “After playing at festivals around the world, I am thrilled to finally share Howl at the Dead with audiences everywhere.”

Watch Gregg Bishop’s Howl at the Dead below!

In the 8-minute short horror film, “When a family moves into a haunted house, their loyal pet dog struggles to protect them from the malevolent ghosts that only animals can see.”

Bishop was inspired by strange behaviors of his own childhood pets, whose uncanny fixation on empty corners and “invisible” things convinced him they had a sixth sense. This notion that pets can see spirits evolved into a haunted house story told from a dog’s perspective, blending spooky thrills with heartfelt moments that highlight the bond between pets and their owners.

Howl at the Dead stars DJ as the lovable Paws the dog, alongside human actors Luke Speakman (Josh Brolin’s son in Weapons), Ashley Watkins, and Stephen Caudill.