Watermelon of Death (2025)

Watermelon of Death is a playful yet sinister short film that turns a summer fruit into an unlikely horror villain. The premise is deceptively simple: three teenagers take a watermelon from a patch, mocking it and treating it as a joke. But the watermelon, far from helpless, rises from its destruction with one goal—revenge. The short thrives on its mix of campy absurdity and horror tropes. The filmmakers lean into classic slasher aesthetics: ominous close-ups of the rolling fruit, exaggerated squelching sounds that mimic both gore and juice, and a stalking sequence that parodies monster movies. When the watermelon finally corners one of the teens, the payoff is equal parts gruesome and hilarious, with sticky red “blood” flowing in over-the-top fashion. What makes Watermelon of Death stand out is its refusal to take itself too seriously. The teens aren’t deeply developed characters—they’re archetypes, there only to highlight the watermelon’s bizarre rampage. That choice works, because the real star is the fruit itself, which manages to be both ridiculous and oddly menacing. The pacing is sharp, never dragging or padding, and the short ends just as the absurdity hits its peak, leaving the audience with a mix of laughter and disbelief. It’s the kind of film that feels destined for late-night cult screenings or viral internet fame. Verdict: Watermelon of Death is juicy, campy horror done right—a short film that makes you laugh, cringe, and maybe think twice before smashing your next piece of fruit.