Hysteria 25' Contraction Delivers a Chilling Look at Parenthood and Emotional Erosion - Review

Andy Greene’s Contraction explores how quickly trust can fracture on the edge of parenthood.

Short Film Review: Contraction (Dir. Andy Greene)

Screening at Hysteria Fest 2025

Rating: ★★★½☆

Andy Greene’s Contraction takes a familiar fear and refracts it through an unnerving domestic lens: what happens when the person you trust the most begins to unravel during one of life’s most vulnerable moments?

The short introduces a seemingly grounded couple on the verge of welcoming their second child. But as labor nears, the husband’s behavior takes a sudden, sharp turn—withdrawn, suspicious, and disturbingly irrational. What begins as a calm and supportive setting quickly morphs into a tense psychological unraveling, framed by questions every parent-to-be fears but rarely voices.

Contraction leans into a horror that’s grounded in the everyday—the chilling realization that parenthood doesn’t change people, it reveals them. The narrative pivots midway through, shifting our understanding of the central relationship and highlighting just how fast someone’s demeanor can break apart under pressure. One moment you’re preparing to build a life with someone, the next you’re questioning if you ever truly knew them.

While the short doesn’t tread new thematic ground—pregnancy horror has been a recurring thread across this year’s lineup—Contraction still manages to hold its own thanks to its execution. The production is clean, the direction polished, and the performances calibrated to sell the slow burn without tipping into melodrama.

There’s a subtle generational undercurrent here too: as the children of boomers step into parenthood, we’re seeing more filmmakers wrestle with legacy, upbringing, and the emotional shifts that come with recreating a family unit. Greene’s film doesn’t shout this message, but it simmers beneath the surface, adding quiet depth to an otherwise straightforward premise.

While Contraction may not break new narrative boundaries, it remains a quality short film that holds tension well and resonates with viewers willing to engage with the quieter horrors of emotional instability and domestic erosion.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5. A strong entry in this year’s festival, and one that should continue to resonate as it makes the rounds.

Contraction screened at Hysteria Film Fest 2025 and continues its festival run.

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