The Finger (A Creepshow short on SHUDDER)

Genre: Horror
Rating: TV-MA (M)
Warnings: Gore

This really feels like an original and interesting concept, and although it does rely on some tired mental health tropes it doesn't vilify mental illness in itself. A man recounts the events of a finger he found growing into a malevolent creature.

The protagonist is part understandable, and part a mean and bitter person. It's a difficult balance done fairly well; he's not offputting but the viewer still sees him as deserving of the negatives. This is especially important, as he's the only voice and almost the only actor. He carries the short well.

Another thing this short has which is unusual in horror is that the fear for the viewer is not that we find ourselves in the protagonists position, but in an unseen one. While he has the horror of witnessing the creature and getting the consequences, the real danger is being someone else. If he's right, the monster's out there, and his rant lists all kinds of people who might find themselves in it's sights. Though the mental health aspect implies he's hallucinating it all, there is the classic cliffhanger idea that it might just be true.