Movies
‘The Severed Sun’ Trailer Unleashes Mysterious Beast in Folk Horror Movie Arriving in May
An isolated religious community is torn asunder by the arrival of a mysterious beast in the new trailer for The Severed Sun, a folk horror movie arriving this May from Dark Sky Films.
Writer-Director Dean Puckett makes his feature debut with The Severed Sun, releasing in theaters and Digital on May 16, 2025.
The Severed Sun is set “In the heart of an isolated religious community, The Pastor delivers his fervent sermons to a devoted congregation. But dark secrets fester. In the depths of the forest, The Pastor’s daughter, Magpie, takes desperate action, ending the life of her abusive husband. Little does she know, his murder will unleash a malevolent force—a mysterious beast with shimmering white eyes. As weeks pass, suspicion and paranoia grip the community, with accusatory fingers pointed at Magpie. The Pastor struggles to restore Magpie’s dwindling faith, and he is unable to bring her back into ‘The Truth.’ Faith is fragile, and Magpie is hell bent on rebelling against the hypocrisy of her father.
“When the Beast leaves a trail of gruesome carnage, a brutal witch hunt ignites. In this gripping tale of faith, fear, and the darkness within, friendships crumble, loyalties are tested, and the community hurtles toward self-destruction.”
Emma Appleton (“The Witcher”), Toby Stephens (“Lost In Space”), Jodhi May (The Silent Twins), Lewis Gribben (T2 Trainspotting), Barney Harris (“The Wheel of Time”), Oliver Maltman (Another Year), and James Swanton (The First Omen, Stopmotion) star.
Trace Thurman wrote in his review, “Notably, Puckett doesn’t shy away from gore when the creature strikes, leaning into intestinal trauma and plenty of blood splatter in the film’s key moments of violence. Brought to life via a mix of practical and computer-generated effects, the creature is a striking image. Equally so are its tendrils that emerge from the forest and slowly creep towards the community with each passing death.” He also called it a “solid entry in folk horror canon.”
Check out the bloody trailer below that gives glimpses of the beast plaguing the community, and the new poster.
A contemporary reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story Herbert West: Reanimator is on the way, and Deadline has unveiled the first look at the new Herbert West and the pathologist drawn to his orbit.
The original screenplay and storyline come from Jade Sandberg Wallis.
Michael Grossman (“The Originals”, “Pretty Little Liars”) directs.
The new images introduce star Joseph Morgan (“Vampire Diaries“), who plays “brilliant surgeon and scientist Herbert West, who is obsessed with creating a serum to reanimate the dead.” Katie Cassidy (Speed Demon) stars opposite as the pathologist with a troubled past who joins his efforts.
Together, they prove that conquering death may be the ultimate sin against life itself.
The film’s official synopsis: “As a child, Herbert West watches his father Peter reanimate his dead mother Judith in a secret basement lab — only for Judith to mortally wound Peter and nearly kill Herbert before Peter shoots her. The trauma leaves its mark on Herbert, but so does one final image: his mother’s finger, twitching after death. Thirty years later, Herbert West is a brilliant, secretive surgeon still chasing his father’s obsession.
“Pathologist Kate Locke arrives in town and is drawn into his orbit — first through a spark at a hospital fundraiser, then through his secret lab, where he reveals a serum capable of reanimating severed tissue. Kate, hiding a dark past of her own, is thrilled rather than horrified, and moves into West’s mansion to work alongside him. Their early experiments on a cadaver succeed only briefly. West concludes that dead tissue is the problem — they need something fresher.”
Supporting cast includes Scott Aiello, Ira J Amyx, Randall Newsome, Emma Reinagal, James D. Bryce, Kathryn A Bentley, Jack Lancaster, Amy Holland Pennell, John Pierson, Mindy Shaw, Eric Dean White, Tristan Wilder Hallet, Adrienne Lamping, Aaron Crippen, and Drew Patterson.
Makeup artist Jeff Lewis (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and cousin Roger Lewis are heading the production via their newly established Woodlake Entertainment.
Lovecraft’s short story, first serialized in Home Brew magazine in 1922, is the first among his works to mention the fictional Miskatonic University. It was most famously adapted into a 1985 horror movie from Stuart Gordon, starring Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West.
Herbert West: Reanimator is set in Alton, Illinois, where production is now underway.
Herbert West: Reanimator. Photo credit: Matt Lief Anderson
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