Shannon Purser, the beloved Barb from Stranger Things and Ethel on Riverdale, is making her directorial debut with Sisters, an original horror short about two girls on the run. An Indiegogo campaign has launched to fund the project, and if you love practical effects, creepy roadside towns, and quietly monstrous tension, this one’s for you.
Sisters follows Big Sister (17) and Little Sister (10) as they wander into a desolate mountain town, where Little Sister is silent and unreadable, and Big Sister is secretive and cagey. Everything soon goes sideways for the siblings when they run into a creepy Trucker. It’s pitched as an intimate and unsettling story about the complicated bond of sisterhood and the lengths people go to protect those they love.
Written by Purser herself, she has been blunt about why this story matters, stating:
“I’m an actor, but storytelling and the written word are my first love, and I’ve been obsessed with horror from the moment I forced my best friend to watch Scream with me at a fourth-grade sleepover. I am so unbelievably excited to add my own voice and vision to the horror genre.
This story, in particular, is an ode to my experiences as a young girl and a sister. I’m one of four girls, and my relationships with my sisters are unlike any others in my life. Women are trained to be alert to spoken and unspoken threats, and all too often, these threats come a little too close to home. There is a specific kind of camaraderie and allyship born out of these shared fears, and I can’t wait to explore that intimacy in this film.”
Shorts like Sisters are where the next generation of horror filmmakers sharpen their knives. It’s also where some of the most exciting new voices, stories, and feature-length films have gotten their start. Filmmakers like David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Until Dawn, Annabelle: Creation), Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead, Alien: Romulus), and the Philippou brothers (Talk to Me, Bring Her Back) all got their start with attention-grabbing short films. So, if you’re tired of stale ideas concocted by non-horror suits or the endless train of IP films, supporting fresh new voices like Purser’s should matter to you.
The Team Bringing Sisters To Life
The team assembled so far for Sisters includes a stacked roster of familiar horror names and faces: Ava Acres, from American Horror Story and 9-1-1, will take on the role of Big Sister, while Grace Jenkins, from Countdown and Deep Water, will portray Little Sister. The iconic Kelli Maroney of Night of the Comet and Chopping Mall fame will also make an appearance, alongside Aaron Lyons (FBI, Moriarty: The Devil’s Game), Tyler Hansen (S.W.A.T., Scream: The Fan Favorite), and creature staple Kevin Keppy (Smile, EVIL, Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities).
The project also features horror queen Chelsea Stardust (All That We Destroy, Satanic Panic, upcoming Grind) on board as the film’s producer, so you know it’s in the best possible hands. And for the effects, they’ll be helmed by Little Shop of Gore, the practical FX outfit behind things like Terrifier 3, American Horror Story, and Westworld, so fans of prosthetics and old-school SFX should be salivating.
For those interested in learning more, there’s a launch video and a full campaign page explaining how funds will be used, including locations, practical SFX, and cast and crew. Perks range from small thank-you tiers up to higher-ticket rewards, including writer-signed scripts and tarot readings from Purser herself. Indie horror lives and breathes on fan support, and this one’s got a cast, crew, and practical-SFX backbone that deserves a shot.
Back Sisters on Indiegogo now.
Categorized: News
