Let Peter Ahern’s ‘Buzzkill’ Take You On A Date To Die For

Peter Ahern’s independently produced horror-comedy short Buzzkill is now available to watch online.

The film debuted last year and screened at numerous major festivals, winning best animated short at Screamfest, Flicker’s Vortex, GenreBlast, and Woodstock along the way.

While Buzzkill’s zany action and bright colors will be familiar to fans of comedy animation, their use in a horror short is striking and exciting. Each time the film crosses a new threshold of violence and viscera, it is a surprise that’s equally disturbing and hilarious as classic hand-drawn cartoon gags and tropes are enhanced with detailed blood, guts, and worse.

As strange as it may seem, Buzzkill is also semi-autobiographical. Ahern came up with the idea for the film at a time when he regularly had stuff get caught in his eyes.

I was always running to mirrors to fish debris out, and one particular incident was especially visceral. My imagination ran wild and for a split second I mistook an eyelash for an insect in my eye.

That misconception inspired the short film, and Ahern built a supernatural narrative around the idea.

Despite relishing the telling of spooky stories, Ahern used to be terrified of horror films. Now, though, he says there are two things that he particularly appreciates about the genre:

One is that horror films often push the use of inventive visuals and creative storytelling. There’s a real craft to the timing of their edits, their clever cinematography, and their special effects, which are qualities I regularly find in animated films as well. To me, horror and animation are a perfect match.

The other appeal is that horror has a way of quickly creating a camaraderie amongst its viewers. Everyone’s experiencing these bursts of adrenaline, relief, awe, and anticipation – engaging playfully with dangerous scenarios without an actual risk, and I think this unlocks something internally. You leave these events feeling bonded with fellow audience members, like we’ve collectively scratched this morbidly curious itch.

Buzzkill’s non-traditional aesthetic demands attention, so we asked Ahern how he developed the look of the film, and the challenges presented in doing something so unique.

Because this was a traditionally animated film, I wanted to lean into that 2d aesthetic with a really graphic quality: hard outlines, solid colors, and a cartoonish spirit. It’s a style I hadn’t really seen before in a genre film. Our visuals were a bit tricky to pull off because when you soak everything in vibrant tones, the viewer often struggles with what to focus on. Luckily, my background designer, Stephen Andolino, did an amazing job balancing the environment’s colors and details against our characters. We strived for a playfulness that would catch the audience off guard and amplify the creepiness once the body horror kicks in.