Horror short The Gaze, directed by Ida Hoglar, follows Mayra (Siri Miller), a scientist who ends up begrudgingly agreeing to have a cup of tea with her brilliant but mildly creepy boss, Dr. Booker (Drew Moore) when she blacks out during an incident that occurs off-screen leading to a glass panel getting broken. The next day she’s shown waking up and explains to her friend that she believes she’s been sexually assaulted by Dr. Booker, an accusation that is treated with some skepticism due to a history of blackouts that Mayra has experienced over the years that have left her with a hazy and jumbled recollection of what transpired.

The Gaze could be described as a #MeToo era horror short as it deals with themes of doubting women who come forward with these sorts of accusations and the general objectification of women and disregard for their value beyond their appearance. Beyond this, there’s a plot about developing telekinetic powers that seems like it wants to be a sort of Carrie for the modern day but never manages to weave these elements together in a way that is particularly satisfying or makes for something that is more than the sum of its parts.

The production here is high caliber, with crisp visuals that look pulled from primetime TV and an ominous score that feels equal parts horror and sci-fi. Miller displays some range, tackling a serious topic with appropriate reverence without the whole experience feeling miserable and monotone. Moore also does a fine job as Dr. Booker, portraying him with a manipulative edge that leaves you questioning his intentions but doesn’t go so far as to paint him as obviously villainous. There’s a pretty satisfying payoff to all of this and the short as a whole is competent and slickly produced, I’m just not sure it succeeds in using the horror genre to amplify its message.