FRUITHEAD (2025)

I hate to cede space and time to buzz marketing…but when it’s done so well and in such a clever manner as with Gushers’ FRUITHEAD short film/elongated commercial, well, attention must be paid! If, like me, you came of age in the late 20th century, you may remember a particular ad campaign from fruit snacks Gushers. In the commercials from the ‘90s, children are so overcome by the delicious fruit flavors of Gushers that they, in turn, become part fruit themselves. The effect was ghastly and the campaign was very memorable—so much so that it’s the basis of this 9-minute short film from director Mike Diva. Turns out the director of that commercial (Bradley Whitford) took certain liberties and the star (Chester Collins) is seeking revenge lo these many years later.

So yes, this is a nostalgia drenched wink of a nine-minute ad for a mediocre fruit snack product. But here’s the thing: it’s done exceptionally well. Whitford and Collins aren’t phoning it in but actually treating this like a substantial horror short. And Diva, along with his co-writers Ian Reichenthal and Matt Sorrell, craft an expertly looking horror short that invokes all manner of popular genre tropes and current hits. FRUITHEAD is surprisingly fun and well worth checking out.