Picture an idyllic waterfront night with your spouse abruptly shattered by screams. Screams turn to worry. Worry turns to death. In this short from writer/director Daniel Meyers, a man confronts his true love in zombified form, rueing the night he lost her to the horde. Even an oceanfront view can’t kill the grief as Glass Eyes stare blankly at him.
A man is left reflecting over the loss of his wife after an ill-fated night with the undead.
Glass Eyes, IMDB
A married couple laughs and drinks wine by fireside. Wanting a refill, they play a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who grabs the next bottle, the wife being chosen. Shifting back and forth between nighttime romance and daytime terror, we see how she was ambushed by a shambling group of zombies, the husband filled with anger and regret as she stares at him hungrily through the glass sliding door.
At just over eight minutes, Glass Eyes has every part of a succinct story executed flawlessly. Slowly we put together what happened that night, feeling every inch of remorse, sorrow, anger, and regret. The story doesn’t give you everything right away — instead, it slowly feeds you pieces as you put it together yourself. Knowing from the beginning that the wife is now a zombie makes it harder to watch as the story goes on because we still get so attached.
Glass Eyes‘ storytelling isn’t just literal, it’s visual. One shot of the wife disappearing into a darkened side yard was striking and fear-inducing; we know something deadly lies in the darkness, but we also haven’t really seen the level of danger yet. It is revealed later on as our thoughts are confirmed and many undead victims storm onto the property. That scene is beautifully done and certainly adds character to the environment, not focusing solely on brain-eating creatures.
Speaking of — I do want to point out that I am not normally a Zombie person. In Glass Eyes, though, they aren’t overdone and amped up, making them still retain some level of humanity. It’s a small thing that not only makes filmmaking easier (shorter prep, less materials), but pays off because you want to feel like the person is still there… though they most definitely are not.
Glass Eyes ends with a twist that gives a double meaning to its title, one that I definitely did not see coming and thought was genius. Again, it shows that Zombie movies don’t need to repeat the same forumula to be effective. Glass Eyes, instead of fosucing on blood and body count, shifts your perspective to humanity, love, and loss… plus, a smart ending.
Watch Glass Eyes on YouTube. Follow writer/director Daniel Meyers on Instagram for more. Check out my review of Meyers’ short The Scene (a Panic Fest 2026 selection) on YouTube as well!
