THE LAST VISITOR, officially released by the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF), is a haunting horror short film that transforms silence, space, and memory into sources of dread. Set within the shadowed corridors of an aging guesthouse, the film explores what happens when a place refuses to let go of those who enter it.

Directed by Shrestha Ganguly, the story begins with a seemingly ordinary arrival. A lone traveler checks into a dimly lit room on the edge of a forgotten town. The caretaker greets the visitor with politeness that feels rehearsed—courteous, calm, yet strangely heavy with unspoken meaning. At first glance, the room appears unremarkable. But as night settles in, subtle disturbances begin to surface: a cup of tea left unfinished, faint knocks echoing through the walls, and shadows that shift when no one is there.

What unfolds is not loud or sudden, but slow and deeply unsettling. With every passing hour, the visitor begins to sense that the room itself is watching, waiting. Fragments of memory, reality, and fear blur together as a terrifying truth emerges—every guest who has stayed in this room before has never truly checked out. The caretaker’s silence conceals a cycle that has been repeating itself for years, perhaps decades, demanding one final presence to complete it.

As the night deepens, the film raises a chilling question: is the visitor uncovering a mystery, or becoming part of it? THE LAST VISITOR resists traditional jump-scare horror and instead embraces psychological unease, allowing tension to build through atmosphere and implication. Fear arises not from what is shown, but from what is suggested—what lingers just beyond the frame.

A defining strength of the film lies in its location. Shot inside the legendary Chowringhee Hotel in Kolkata, a property with more than a century of history, the setting becomes a character in its own right. The aged walls, muted lighting, and echoing hallways amplify the sense that the space holds memories that refuse to fade. The hotel’s history lends authenticity and weight to the film’s central idea—that places can absorb the lives lived within them.

Featuring strong performances by Bhaskar Banerjee and Alokananda, the film maintains a controlled emotional restraint that heightens its impact. The characters do not explain their fear; they live within it. Supported by meticulous sound design, careful editing, and deliberate pacing, THE LAST VISITOR creates an atmosphere where dread feels inevitable rather than imposed.

By presenting THE LAST VISITOR, DPIFF continues its commitment to showcasing independent cinema that pushes genre boundaries while remaining rooted in storytelling and craft. The film stands as an example of horror that is thoughtful rather than excessive—one that lingers in the mind long after the screen goes dark.

In the end, THE LAST VISITOR leaves audiences with an unsettling realisation: some rooms are never empty, some stories never end, and some visitors are not meant to leave at all.