In We’re All Haunted Here, ghosts reflect the pain we try hardest to ignore. Director Zac Pinto Lobo’s new short film blends supernatural terror with raw human emotion, creating a haunted house story where the ghost is both watcher and prisoner.
The film makes its debut at the Toronto Indie Horror Film Festival at Eyesore Cinema Oct. 1
Pinto Lobo was drawn to horror with a heart. “I knew I wanted to do a horror film with an emotional story at its core,” he says.
That story took shape around the theme of unresolved trauma and the ways it lashes out when left to fester.
Instead of relying on cheap scares, he developed a spectral perspective that lets viewers experience the house’s secrets through multiple entities.
A Haunted House Horror Film with a Ghostly Protagonist
Unusually, the film places a ghost at the centre of the narrative. Julia, a spirit trapped by her own regret, observes the living from the sidelines. She focuses on Kate, a woman who has just moved into the house with her young son, unaware of the forces waiting inside.
“I became so fascinated with her concept, the idea of being dragged into this chaos almost as a punishment,” Pinto Lobo says. By watching Kate’s struggles from afar, Julia’s silent arc becomes a mirror for the living family’s pain.
This voyeuristic approach sets up one of the film’s most chilling twists, something even Julia the ghost can’t see.
“I came up with the idea of a ghost haunting another ghost, something I hadn’t really seen before,” he says.
This unseen presence becomes the antithesis of Julia, both in presentation and theme.
Crafting Atmosphere in a Haunted House Horror Film
The haunted house subgenre gave Pinto Lobo rich creative ground. He and his team filmed in a century-old home, assigning unique atmospheres to each room. “We made sure to show the depth of the house, and move you through it so as to feel like you were another ghost roaming its halls,” he says.
Balancing supernatural scares with emotional storytelling was key. Julia and Kate’s arcs were designed to mirror each other, weaving family drama into the horror. The result is a narrative where emotion and terror feel intertwined.
Why Haunted House Horror Films Endure
Pinto Lobo’s love of horror runs deep. He vividly recalls watching Alien with his father at 14, the vent scene burning into his creative DNA. His cinematic influences—The Babadook, A Ghost Story, The Haunting of Hill House, and The Others—are clear, but We’re All Haunted Here brings a fresh angle.
It’s a story about regret as poison, and ghosts that echo the parts of ourselves we fear most.
In Pinto Lobo’s haunted house, the most terrifying presence is the reflection staring back.