The Beasts We Carry, a bold new live-action horror short film, has launched its Kickstarter campaign, inviting backers to help bring a deeply personal, visually striking, and socially resonant story to life.
Written and directed by Rishi Gandhi, a South Asian American filmmaker whose life was shaped by post-9/11 xenophobia, the film channels real fear into psychological horror, asking: What if you could see the monsters inside people?
“Our monsters aren’t just scary, they’re true,” says Gandhi. “We want to create a mirror through horror, one that reflects not only what we fear, but why.”
Set in a post-9/11 New York teeming with suspicion and silent trauma, the story follows a young boy named Raju, the only person who can see what others cannot: the monstrous inner selves of those around him. These creatures aren’t ghosts or demons, they’re fear incarnate. As the paranoia around him deepens, the monsters grow more vivid, more violent… and far more real.
“This film is horror with intent,” says Gandhi. “Not just to scare, but to scar. Because some monsters aren’t fiction, they’re what happens when fear replaces understanding.”
Drawing comparisons to The Babadook and The Sixth Sense, the film utilizes stylized practical effects, creature design, and shadow-soaked cinematography to visualize internalized trauma. With key collaborators including producer Alex Torres (Darker, Letting Go), DP Mike Magilnick (Founders Day), and concept artist David Romero (The Department of Truth), the film fuses genre craft with authentic emotional depth.
Backers of the campaign will support the project’s production costs, wardrobe, makeup FX, casting, permits, and help ensure a high-fidelity post-production pipeline, festival presence, and public release. Stretch goals include expanded VFX, composer engagement, and national festival appearances.
“Our monsters aren’t just scary, they’re true,” says Gandhi. “We want to create a mirror through horror, one that reflects not only what we fear, but why.”
Find out all the ways you can support The Beasts We Carry on Kickstarter.
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