The Smuggler’s Memoirs is a proof-of-concept sci-fi horror thriller set in the expanded All Night Deli universe. Javi, a low-level courier who’s built his life around precision and silence, discovers contraband that defies explanation. What begins as a routine run spirals into a labyrinth of betrayal, paranoia, and cosmic dread, where every truth splinters into lies and something hungry waits just beyond the veil.

The short asks: What happens when the contraband is you?

Creative Vision: This is not a jump-scare horror film. The Smuggler’s Memoirs excavates the psychological terror of identity erasure, cultural ghosts, and the creeping sense of being consumed by forces larger than oneself. It blends speculative sci-fi with urban myth and haunted memory, told through a chilling digital lens that reflects our AI-mediated world.

Tonally, the film aligns with the “elevated horror” tradition of Blumhouse, Monkeypaw, and A24, characterized by a character-driven, socially resonant, and deeply unsettling approach. It’s intimate and eerie, building dread with atmosphere and paranoia rather than spectacle, while still delivering cinematic shocks that feel inevitable and earned.

Universe Connection: This short is the first side story branching from the All Night Deli multi-platform project, a sprawling narrative ecosystem that spans a 2D video game (Deli Scum), a podcast (featured at Tribeca festival Creator's Market and Gotham Project Week), and a manga (Queens of the Neon Underground). The Smuggler’s Memoirs offers both a standalone thriller and a cinematic window into that larger mythology, positioning it as an entry point for producers and audiences alike.

Why Now: Audiences are hungry for original genre work that pushes boundaries while staying culturally grounded. This project fuses cartel tension with cosmic horror, migration themes with speculative dread.

Impact: The Smuggler’s Memoirs is a gripping descent into paranoia and betrayal, but also a proof of concept for a larger, globally ambitious franchise. It’s a short designed to unsettle, resonate, and expand.