Brothers (2013)

Originally intended as a proof of concept to be shown to studio producers Jay Van Hoy and Lars Knudsen in hopes of securing funding and getting his feature-length debut (The Witch) greenlit, this 11-minute short film finds Eggers drawing from the deep well of religion and mythology once again to retell the biblical tale of Cain and Abel as we watch two siblings called Tom and Jake spending some time out in the woods of rural New Hampshire before things take a dark, unexpected turn.

Despite its limited runtime and barebones production value, “Brothers” marked a stride forward in Eggers’ craft that effectively showcases the director’s knack for foreboding mood, and ability to instill the viewer with a creeping sense of dread and sustained paranoia. Eggers worked closely with frequent collaborators DP Jarin Blaschke and editor Louise Ford to get the short off the ground, and credits the production as a formative experience that ultimately helped him proved to himself that he could indeed pull off “The Witch” shortly after (a film which features a similar aspect ratio, scary woods, starred children, and had naturalistic performances). You can check it out online at Vimeo.