Judges’ Scores: 8.4 / 8 / 7
Herd of Cows is one of those short films that knows exactly what it wants to be and has a lot of fun getting you there.
The premise seems simple enough: a woman and her children seek refuge at her father’s farm, only to discover that something isn’t quite right—especially when it comes to the missing cows. From there, director Paige Larianova gradually builds the mystery and tension before delivering a fantastic twist that completely changes how you look at what came before.
And that ending is where Herd of Cows really got me.
The twist was amazing. I loved how it played out.
The film also has some impressive technical work. The cinematography and lighting give the short a polished appearance, while the sound design does an excellent job of building tension. Those elements help sell the mystery without revealing too much too early.
Our judges had a lot of fun with this one. Ross Palmer probably summed it up best with, “Holy COW this was a fun one.” Sometimes you just have to embrace the cow jokes!
Beyond the humor, though, there is genuine filmmaking talent on display. Larianova understands pacing, atmosphere, and—most importantly for this kind of story—how to set an audience up for a payoff.
We’re also happy to announce that Herd of Cows was a winner at the Bocas Film Fest Spring Edition!
The film has already received recognition at other festivals, and after watching it, it’s easy to understand why.
Congratulations to Paige Larianova and the entire Herd of Cows team on their Bocas Film Fest win.
Great cinematography, strong atmosphere, a wonderfully strange premise, and an ending we won’t spoil.
Definitely worth watching until the very last moment.
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