Luke Barnett’s Goodbye, Monster Debuts as a Short at Fantastic Fest

Goodbye, Monster, a new short written, directed, and performed by Luke Barnett, is screening at this year’s Fantastic Fest. Clocking in at just over seven minutes, the piece was presented as part of the festival slate and described in a review as a compact coming-of-age story played through a monster-child assignment.

Creative team and elements noted in coverage

• Luke Barnett credited as writer, director, and the titular monster.
• Kue Lawrence named as the child, Wilson.
• Dan Crawley credited for practical SFX work on the monster design.
• Bear McCreary credited for the score.
• The short includes a moment noted for featuring Patton Oswalt.
• The project is identified as a FANGORIA Studio “short-to-feature” initiative.

Coverage highlights the film’s tonal balance between tenderness and humor, framing the monster assignment as a metaphor for the anxieties and rites of passage associated with growing up. Reviewers singled out the emotional core of the short alongside a comedic payoff in the final sequence.

Barnett’s previous work is mentioned alongside this new short; his 2024 film The Crossing Over Express is cited in context as part of his ongoing career trajectory. Goodbye, Monster’s festival screening offers another showcase of Barnett’s multi-role approach to short-form horror storytelling.

For festival attendees, the short is presented as an example of concise genre filmmaking that blends practical effects, a composed score, and a brief but focused narrative to explore childhood fear and change. The Dread Central review available from the Fantastic Fest run provides the primary published reaction noted here.

Source

Based on information published by Dread Central. Visit the original report for the latest details.