Stopover in a Quiet Town

I’ll admit, I hit play on *Stopover in a Quiet Town* expecting a quaint, retro sci-fi curiosity—something to kill a commute. Thirty-eight minutes later, I was parked in my driveway, engine idling, skin prickling. Hamner’s writing is deceptively simple, but the horror isn’t in the monsters (are there even any?). It’s in the *details*: the way the Fraziers’ hangovers morph into something far worse, the town’s cheerful emptiness recalling a theme park after hours. Keach and Weir’s performances are *perfectly* pitched—Keach’s Bob starts as a gruff, tipsy everyman, but his voice cracks just right when he realizes the town’s newspaper is dated *tomorrow*. Weir’s Millie, meanwhile, sells the transition from annoyed spouse to terrified survivor with a single, choked-off scream. My only gripe? The ending—while thematically apt—feels *too* abrupt, even for a short. A 30-second epilogue to let the dread marinate might’ve elevated it from great to unforgettable. And while the sound design is immersive, the occasional background hum (a fridge? wind?) occasionally clashes with the narrative’s eerie stillness. Still, these are quibbles. For fans of *The Twilight Zone*’s psychological twists or *Black Mirror*’s tech-adjacent horror, this is a must-listen. Just don’t start it before bed.