Night Breakers is a short horror–sci-fi film written and directed by Gabriel Campoy and Guillem Lafoz. The film is a Spanish production and has screened at numerous international festivals, earning strong critical attention for its atmosphere and craftsmanship.
Synopsis
The film follows a group of people — identified as migrants in some interpretations — navigating a maze of underground urban tunnels. To survive, they wear elaborate suits covered in flashlights and powered by clusters of batteries; in this world, light is life, and darkness is fatal.
Progress is tense and fragile. A broken cable, drained battery, or momentary pause can plunge them into danger. As the group goes deeper, they encounter a mysterious shadow-like creature stalking them in the pitch black.
But the most frightening threat may be each other. Under intense stress, fear, and claustrophobia, trust erodes. Panic fuels conflict, betrayal, and moral collapse. What begins as a creature-horror journey quickly evolves into a psychological exploration of humanity stripped to its core.
Reception
Reviewers consistently praise the film’s ability to build dread — from its dim, oppressive tunnels to the flickering lights and the ever-present fear of what lurks unseen.
While the creature element provides traditional horror tension, the film’s real power lies in its psychological depth: their fear fractures the group, paranoia drives characters apart, and then morality dissolves in the fight for survival.
Many critics describe Night Breakers as a strong proof-of-concept for a potential feature film. Its world-building, suspense, and visual identity hint at a larger narrative ready to be explored.
Watch the short film ‘Night Breakers’ on YouTube
If you appreciate horror or sci-fi shorts that focus on atmosphere, tension, and social allegory, Night Breakers is well worth your time. At under 20 minutes, it’s a tightly crafted, immersive experience that lingers long after the final frame, a haunting look at what darkness does to the human mind.
