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[Frightfest ’14] John McNaughton’s ‘The Harvest’ Is Coming!
The Film4 FrightFest is returning for its 15th year, and just unveils its biggest line-up ever. From Thurs 21 August to Monday 25 August, the UK’s leading event for genre fans will be at the Vue West End, Leicester Square, to present sixty-four films plus twenty shorts across five screens.
The festival has unloaded a bunch of images that we’re going to break into a few news posts. This article features a new look at The Harvest, the latest film from Henry director John McNaughton! It stars Michael Shannon, Samantha Morton, Peter Fonda, Natasha Calis, and Charlie Tahan.
“HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER director John McNaughton makes a welcome return to the genre with this eerie psychological thriller featuring two dynamite performances from Oscar nominees Samantha Morton and Michael Shannon. They play married medical professionals Katharine and Richard who keep their sick son Andy isolated from the outside world in their remote countryside house. When young Maryann moves in with her grandparents close by, her attempts to befriend the clearly lonely Andy are met with vehement resistance by his over protective parents. But Maryann remains convinced her surreptitious visits are proving a tonic to the bed-ridden boy and finds ever more inventive ways to circumvent their watchful eyes and keep his spirits up. Until one day she is forced to hide in the house and discovers the basement. There she finds a terrible secret… but even then can’t imagine the shocking truth behind it.”
Here’s the full Film4 Frightfest programme!
We have an exclusive first look at A Man in the Woods With an Axe, a blood-soaked, genre-twisting homage to 1980s slasher films.
Spanning four decades, A Man in the Woods With an Axe begins in the summer of 1987 before pushing into the modern era, weaving together timelines and perspectives in a way that builds both dread and intrigue.
Drawing inspiration from genre standouts like Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Hatchet, and The Cabin in the Woods, the film blends visceral horror with moments of dark humor, creating a uniquely balanced experience that honors tradition while carving its own identity.
Writer-director Dillon Brown (Primal Darkness) aims to deliver everything fans crave from a slasher while boldly subverting expectations with a mid-film twist that redefines the story.
“This is an unapologetic love letter to the films that made me fall in love with horror,” Brown tells Bloody Disgusting. “But I didn’t just want to recreate that feeling; I wanted to challenge it. About halfway through, the film takes a turn that completely changes how you view not only this story, but the genre itself.”
Brown describes the vintage-inspired production as “far and away the bloodiest film I’ve ever made,” with practical effects helmed by Cody Ruch (The Mill, Pig Hill), an instructor at Tom Savini’s Special Make-Up Effects Program.
From Horror Dadz Productions, A Man in the Woods With an Axe is currently in production and targeting an early 2027 release.
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