44 is a new short film written and directed by Dhwani Shah, a filmmaker originally from Mumbai, India, but now based out of New York. The film, which hit YouTube in early February of this year, does feature some horror elements to it, but its core concept is one that is commonly associated with the realm of sci-fi. As Shah’s directorial debut, 44 has already garnered notable praise on the film festival circuit, receiving an Honorable Mention at the 2023 New York City Horror Film Festival and nabbing awards for Best Director and Best Editor at the 2023 L.A. Crime and Horror Film Festival.

While fleeing from police after what appears to be some shady dealing gone bad, Stu (Sarah Hashmi) makes her way into an abandoned high-rise building. As construction of the building was seemingly never completed, rebar protrudes from bare walls and rail-less stairwells, and gaping holes exist in place of windows. For whatever reason (and there’s not much of one given other than curiosity), Stu ascends the building’s stairwell all the way up to the 44th floor, where she had witnessed a flashing light earlier in the evening.

Upon reaching the 44th floor, Stu finds herself trapped in an impenetrable loop; repeatedly trying to leave only to return to the same spot. The situation only escalates once Stu begins to realize that she might not be alone on the 44th floor.

While the film’s opening sequence does set up one of the film’s central “mysteries”, it also establishes why our lead finds themselves at their present location. However, this latter aspect ultimately proves to be of little significance to the overall plot or the film as a whole. What surely may be of importance is the question of why Stu felt the need or desire to ascend so many floors when a suitable place to hide from the police most assuredly could have been found on a much lower floor. Sure, people in films (and horror films, in particular) frequently tend to make questionable and often illogical decisions that only serve to drive the plot forward. That said, although Stu’s particular course of action was something I just couldn’t wrap my head around, this somewhat-lack of true character motivation was not enough of a factor to heavily detract from my overall enjoyment of the film. 

One minor aspect of the film that I surprisingly enjoyed was the unease that I felt from the presence of the building itself. While there’s nothing particularly scary or creepy about the design or decor of the building, the dilapidated nature of the building gives some uncertainty to its stability. When combined with the building’s service elevator of questionable safety and the many open walls from where windows were meant to be, there were a few shots that somewhat played upon my own fear of heights and may do so for others. 

Produced for just $5,000, 44 is an intriguing and visually appealing short film. However, if we’re being honest, it’s just not overly “deep” or all that unique. You’ve seen similar scenarios played out in numerous other films and televisions shows, all with results varying in success. Hashmi does a highly capable job of selling Stu’s fear and confusion, but many a viewer is sure to be left slack jawed at what will be seen as the character’s lack of reasoning. Granted, this oversight is not a fault of the actor.

44 is also quite impressively edited, particularly in one sequence accentuated by the beam of Stu’s flashlight against the stairwell walls. Unfortunately, this aspect may not be enough to save the film from feeling a tad shallow or clichéd to some viewers. That said, at only just over 17 minutes long, I never once felt like I had wasted my time watching the film or that I would rather be doing something else. Ultimately, that may just be good enough for me. It kept me entertained, and I’m pretty sure that was the goal.

44 can be watched now on YouTube. Here’s a link: 44 – Short Film