Pauly Shore’s gas station horror short Remain Calm tops 6 million views

Comedian Pauly Shore‘s horror-comedy short Remain Calm has passed 6 million YouTube views, 10 days after writer-director Jake Lewis released it free online on 12 October, just in time for Halloween.

TL;DR

• Remain Calm passed 6 million YouTube views by 22 October.
• It stars Shore, Nick Swardson and Doug Jones, and runs about 14 minutes.
• It is free on YouTube, so UK viewers need no subscription.
• No feature version has been announced.

What happens in Remain Calm

The short follows two bored gas station clerks on an isolated overnight shift. Shore plays Matt, while comedian Nick Swardson (Grandma’s Boy) plays Erwin.

Actor Doug Jones (The Shape of Water) plays the Grin Man, a smiling government agent who warns them a creature has escaped from a nearby facility. Kevin Keppy plays the monster, Mr. Frett.

According to iHorror, Mr. Frett can only find people who are anxious, stressed or afraid. So, survival means faking calm. Alas, that is harder than it sounds when a grinning stranger in a black suit is standing at your counter.

Lewis wrote and directed from a story he developed with Sam Lewis.

How the views stacked up

The short passed 6 million views on 22 October, according to JoBlo. That is a big audience for a 14-minute indie short.

Within four days of release it had 4.3 million views, which caught the attention of People. Shore told the outlet he was “so thrilled by the response.”

Shore is best known for Encino Man and Bio-Dome, which makes a creature feature a left turn. Viral shorts are having a year, too. The Rams’ Thursday Draft film went viral with 1.6 million views earlier this year.

Where UK viewers can watch Remain Calm

The Lewis Brothers released the short on YouTube, where it is free to watch. UK viewers need no subscription or rental fee, and there is plenty of time to catch it before Halloween on Saturday 31 October.

Another free option for UK horror fans is Blood and Breakfast on Tubi UK, an indie whodunit.

Could Remain Calm become a feature?

Reportedly, Shore has said he would be interested in a feature version. He previously worked with Lewis on The Court Jester. As of 21 October, no studio deal had been announced and nothing had been greenlit, iHorror reported.

Comedians heading into creature territory is a growing trend, with Chris Elliott and Michael Ian Black leading the cast of Bad Day for Bigfoot.

We’ll keep you posted on updates about Remain Calm as the project develops.

Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.