Goodbye Monster, a heartfelt horror short about how growing up is the real monster.

Before my screening of Kylgor in the Grisly Abyss began (review for that one coming soon), I was presented with a piece of one of the most underrated aspects of Fantastic Fest, the short films, and I'd call this one of the best of them. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the world premiere of Goodbye Monster, written and directed by Luke Barnett (The Crossing Over Express) and produced by Fangoria Studios. The film stars Kue Lawrence (Marshmallow, Unfrosted).

Goodbye Monster follows a conversation between a 12-year-old boy and the monster under his bed, and unfortunately, their time together has come to an end. Barnett takes this uniquely fun premise and balances the emotional coming of age weight with the inherently comedic tones that come with a goblin monster in a dad mustache having a heart to heart. The film is gorgeous to look at, from the lighting to the practical effects.

Barnett is also pulling double as he plays the monster himself (is there anything this guy can't do?), and his performance is as heartfelt as it is comedic. Even through the thick practical effects makeup he conveys the same emotional weight as a parental figure giving a heartbreaking talk to their child, except it's a goblin talking to the 12-year-old boy he's been scaring for the past few years. Kue Lawrence plays opposite to Barnett exceptionally well, and delivers some heartbreaking deliveries in an impressive performance from the young actor. The film also stars the voices of Tina Majorino (Napoleon Dynamite, Alice in Wonderland) and Patton Oswalt (Buddy, Ratatouille).  The film is also scored by the talented Bear McCreary, who horror and video games fans should know. He previously scored hit video game titles like God of War, and has scored more than two dozen horror films such as Happy Death Day, Freaky, Godzilla: King of Monsters, Drop, Hell Fest and more.

Courtesy of Fons PR

It's safe to say that Luke Barnett and Fangoria Studios have assembled an all-star team in making this short, and it shows through every frame. What I think is most impressive however, is how the film almost purely utilizes conversation. The film's tight and sharp script weaves a short, concise, yet entertaining narrative without even leaving the bedroom. Goodbye Monster does so much with so little, it's truly inspiring and would serve any filmmaker seasoned or not as a good lesson in short filmmaking.

Barnett previously directed the short film The Crossing Over Express which he posted to social media and went viral in the entertainment sphere. He also previously produced another Fantastic Fest film titled Your Lucky Day; seeing him hone this short with the Fangoria team has been an impressive and inspiring feat, and has made me even more excited for what he does next.

While there is currently no release date for when the short film will be made available to the public, if you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend you do. Goodbye Monster is far and beyond the best short film I've seen at Fantastic Fest so far. 

https://youtu.be/-jtz2NWUvmA?si=Hi9lUXORaKqoZ9yy

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