
Luz Cabrales’ "Shadows of the Past" is a lo-fi, homespun horror anthology that’s as earnest as it is uneven. At just 83 minutes and made on a shoestring budget of $15,000, the film wears its influences proudly—echoes of Tales From the Crypt and The Mortuary Collectionresonate throughout—but its ambitions, while admirable, sometimes outpace its execution.
The premise is a classic setup for anthology horror: four teenagers, running from trouble, take refuge in a secluded mansion owned by a cryptic host. He offers them safety and the freedom to loot the house—but only if they agree to hear a series of grim tales from his past. It’s a wonderfully pulpy framework, and Cabrales makes the most of it with a sense of theatrical mystery and slow-burning dread. The mansion itself, however modest, is effectively eerie, and there’s something charmingly retro about the host-as-storyteller device.
The film's three main stories each hinge on a clear moral lesson: obey your parents, don’t lie, and don’t let jealousy consume you. There’s a sort of after-school-special energy beneath the horror, which can feel a bit blunt, particularly when the stories hammer their lessons home. Still, there’s sincerity in the telling—and occasional flourishes of real craft.
The first story, “Mother,” follows a disobedient boy tormented by vengeful spirits. It’s thematically neat, though emotionally surface-level. The ghosts are more melancholy than menacing, and while the atmosphere is strong, it leans more creepy than truly frightening. That said, there’s a quiet confidence to the storytelling, and the tone is consistent.
“Nancy,” the second tale, is arguably the most polished visually. A deceitful security guard at a trolley museum finds himself caught in a supernatural trap of his own making. The ghostly antagonism is light on terror but heavy on comeuppance, and though the arc is predictable, the camerawork and setting elevate it beyond its narrative simplicity.
The final story, “The Dancer,” is where Cabrales’ potential as a genre director really comes through. A tale of envy spiraling into horror, this segment finds an unsettling rhythm. It’s not only the creepiest of the three, but also the most emotionally resonant. The ballet sequences and haunting imagery channel classic ghost story aesthetics, suggesting a filmmaker with a growing command of visual storytelling.
Where "Shadows of the Past" stumbles is in its lack of subtlety and its underdeveloped tension. The scares are soft-edged, more suggestive than visceral, and the moralizing tone can make the horror feel secondary. But what it lacks in fear factor, it makes up for in indie charm and a strong sense of local identity—filmed in Scranton, with over 50 local actors, there’s an earnest DIY spirit running through every scene.
Ultimately, "Shadows of the Past" is a promising debut from Luz Cabrales. It isn’t especially scary, and the themes might benefit from more complexity, but it’s clear that Cabrales has a voice—and one worth watching. If future projects push further into the psychological, embrace ambiguity, and dare to unsettle more deeply, we could see a real force in indie horror emerge. This is the sort of film you root for—not because it’s perfect, but because it shows a filmmaker on the cusp of something greater.
6.5/10
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