Shelby is a young marketing professional trying to climb the corporate ladder and like many of us, she faces obstacles like short-tempered and corrupt bosses, sexist managers and intense pressure to meet unreasonable expectations.

The night before the biggest presentation of her career, an after hours meeting takes a tragic turn in this entertaining tribute to Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart.

Anyone who  ever worked in a corporate setting will understand the story and Shelby’s stress. There are endless marketing campaigns, the demand for perfection, incorrect projection numbers and a high-pressure atmosphere that makes us question why we ever left college. The story concept may seem familiar on the surface but it adds a fresh look at what it is like in today’s corporate world.

Stacy Snyder portrays Shelby as an endearing character. She is very convincing as a “nice” girl in way over her head as she tries to keep pace with the ruthless executives in the company. Joanna Sotomura is also perfectly mean and threatening as Shelby’s immediate supervisor and nemesis.

The plot moves quickly and there is no down time. With a twelve minute run time, the story is told quickly without feeling rushed.

The production value is well above anything typically found in a short, independent film. The sound editing, special effects and cinematography are all very professional. The over the top industrial metal song in the opening and closing credits seems to be  extremely out of place, even for a horror story about corporate marketing. Of course, this is a matter of personal taste.

Heartless is an extremely enjoyable update to a classic horror tale and a great way to spend your 15 minute lunch break at the office.