Despite relying on the often overused horror trope of a camera revealing things the human eye can't see, Polaroid has a lot to offer.
First, I appreciated the clever reversal of the usual setup. Typically, a character snaps a photo of a dark space, and the image reveals a monster illuminated by the flash. Here, it's the opposite: the protagonist takes a photo of a well-lit area, but the photo shows it shrouded in darkness. As the story unfolds, we come to understand that a sinister presence is actively consuming the light.
Second, the special effects were significantly better than I expected. I especially liked the second photo of the creature-this time, the flash briefly reveals it right before our eyes. That moment was really cool and well executed.
On the downside, the creature itself turned out to be less frightening than I'd hoped. Unfortunately, it reminded me a bit of Will Smith's genie from the 2019 Aladdin-not exactly nightmare fuel.
All in all, this horror short is built on a familiar and predictable concept but adds some fresh twists and creative flair that make it stand out.
