Shapiro stars as Pumpkin, a Halloween-obsessed post-apocalypse survivor, who thinks she’s the last person alive. But when a vicious band of scavengers shows up at her doorstep on All Hallows’ Eve, Pumpkin has no choice but to tap into her deadliest survival instincts.

Ajani Russell (“Betty”), AJ Bowen (You’re Next), and Shannyn Sossamon (Sinister 2) round out the cast.

Writer-director Ben Sottak makes his feature directorial debut on the project, based on his 2021 short Scavenger.

Sottak produces alongside Gabriel Rosenstein (A Nightmare Wakes), Emmajane Hoffman, Jake Casey, and Danielle Benedict, with Sossamon and Alec Ring serving as executive producers.

Hallowarrior will premiere at Tribeca in New York City on June 10, with encore screenings on June 12 and June 13.

North American rights are being repped by Cinetic, while Architect is handling international sales.

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Tribeca 2024 unveiled the new premiere of  Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s ultra-bleak The Devil’s Bath, raucous slasher AMFAD: All My Friends Are Dead, goopy sci-fi horror comedy The A-Frame, and dusty neo-noir horror A Desert to name a few of the genre offerings this year. But the fest’s genre offerings don’t stop with Midnight programming, a section dedicated to horror and high-energy genre fare. 

Here’s a round-up of brief thoughts and capsule reviews of Tribeca’s narrative features that either toe-dip or crash into horror in surprising ways.

The Damned

Director Thordur Palsson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jamie Hannigan (“The Woman in the Wall”), combines 19th-century survival thrills with atmospheric supernatural chills set in an Icelandic fishing village. Palsson drops viewers into a seemingly ongoing story, where the especially harsh winter conditions have left the handful of residents in a heightened state of desperation and without a leader. When a strange foreign ship sinks just off the coast, it forces the village to make an impossible choice, with widow Eva (Odessa Young, Assassination Nation) the ultimate decider on whether to save the boat’s crew or survive the brutal season. The villagers are wracked with guilt over their choice, but when strange fates begin to befall them, they wonder if the folkloric Draugr has come to haunt them.

The stunning Icelandic landscapes and unforgiving winter conditions infuse The Damned with a rich abundance of atmosphere and production value. It goes far in a lean feature that doles out character details sporadically for the sake of breeding paranoia within the group’s ranks. Supporting players like “Game of Thrones” actor Rory McCann and Joe Cole (“Gangs of London”) bring the appropriate level of freakout fear and despair, but the narrative structure makes it tricky to find rooting interest here. Palsson employs restraint with the folkloric elements, opting instead to lean into the ambiguities of superstition. While that means it builds to an appropriate final moments, it’s light on impact.

The Damned plays like a well-crafted cautionary campfire tale, unsettling and intriguing in vision but one that’s light on details and rooting interest.

Restless

The desire for peace, quiet, and sleep transforms into a tension-fraught nightmare in Restless, the feature debut from writer/director Jed Hart. Empty nester Nicky (Lyndsey Marshal) loves her quiet, mundane routine. So much so that she doesn’t take it well when a new neighbor, Deano (Aston McAuley), shatters her peace with constant hard partying. Early attempts to lower the volume are met with open hostility, and the more Nicky loses her patience, the worse things get. The more tensions mount between the neighbors, the more Nicky and Deano seem destined for confrontation to end in violence.

Hart captures Nicky’s unraveling psychological state to a palpable degree. The sleep deprivation and gas lighting yield nail-biting suspense that only grows more unnerving as Deano’s cruelty increases. Marshal earns easy rooting interest, not just for Nicky’s earnest personality but as a relatable milquetoast type that makes for a perfect audience proxy in this familiar scenario. Hart injects plenty of psych-outs and nightmare sequences to further escalate suspense, but there’s a dark sense of humor to it all. It’s an intense thriller grafted onto a mundane comedy with inventive results. In other words, Nicky finds the perfect solution to her unrelenting nightmare, one that ends Restless on a perfect punchline; but don’t expect this pitch-black thriller riff to veer too far into gritty territory. This is a cozy thriller nestled in the suburbs with an atypical protagonist.

It may not veer too far into genre, but the exercise in tension building and playful sense of humor make it winsome all the same.

She Loved Blossoms More

A journey through grief transforms into a psychotropic, psychedelic voyage through alternate realities in director/co-writer Yannis Veslemes‘s surreal genre-defier. Three Greek brothers (Aris Balis, Panos Papadopoulos, and Julio Katsis) build and experiment with a unique time machine in the hopes of bringing their mother back from the dead. The brothers have practically hermited themselves away with their grief as they experiment with various flora and fauna to test their machine, though it manifests in ways that are as different as their personalities. It’s those warring personalities and the inclusion of hedonism and mind-altering substances that send the men on a bizarre, reality-altering odyssey.

Veslemes, who co-wrote with Dimitris Emmanouilidis, forgoes conventional narratives in favor of a tactile mood piece that leans into the psychotronic. The debut filmmaker delivers a collision of DIY techniques that transforms She Loved Blossoms More into an arresting, vibrant realm of practical effects-driven creatures and ruined experiments. There’s an emphasis on the surreal here as the brothers drift through time and reality, often to comical effect. But that also means that it’s the type of weird cinema that demands you get on its peculiar wavelength; there’s not much in the way of story or characters to grab hold of here. It’s a sumptuous visual feast that hones in on the strangeness of mourning, nothing more or less.

Vulcanizadora

The latest from writer/director Joel Potrykus (Relaxer, The Alchemist Cookbook) isn’t horror at all, but it is a heavy metal genre-shifter worth checking out. Vulcanizadora revists characters introduced in Potrykus’s Buzzard: Marty Jackitansky (Joshua Burge) and Derek Skiba (Potrykus). The pair feel trapped in time, or adolescence, to be more specific, as they embark on a camping trip in the Michigan woods. For a while, it’s all good fun as Derek amuses himself with the wilderness or glow sticks. But the more their journey wears on, the clearer it becomes that their plan is poised to derail with disastrous results.

Potrykus’s latest begins as a darkly funny heavy metal comedy that deftly shifts into a poignant existential drama, stitched together by a shocking act that toe-dips ever so briefly into horror. Shot on film, Vulcanizadora impresses in the way it explores heady questions through light banter or darkly funny gags before pulling the rug out from under you. Two ill-equipped friends trapped in place by societal expectations give way to something far more somber and bleak. Potrykus helms with edgy style, but it’s his and Burge’s transformative performances that carry this unconventional gem.

The Weekend

Meeting the in-laws is always intense, and Nigerian thriller The Weekend takes it to an all-new disturbing level. Nikiya (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) realizes that she’s yet to meet the family of her longtime beau and now fiance, Luc (Bucci Franklin). Luc tries to dissuade her; he’s not spoken to his family in years. Nikiya demands to meet her future in-laws, though, and the lovebirds set off to his hometown village for a weekend trip. While Nikiya is warmly greeted by Luc’s sister Kama (Meg Otanwa) and parents Meki (Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey) and Omicha (Gloria Anozie-Young), the telltale signs something is amiss come straightaway. Nikiya begins to wonder if meeting the in-laws was worth it when things escalate.

Director Daniel Emeke Oriahi, working from a script by Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy, Vanessa Kanu, and Freddie O. Anyaegbunam Jr., keeps the momentum going at a steady clip as he puts Nikiya in a slow simmering kettle. Ominous signs give way to horror in inventive ways here, introducing a new spin on a niche subgenre of horror. Oriahi effectively ensures you can’t quite guess where The Weekend is headed, taking sharp story turns and detours along the way. The horror itself is approached with a commendable restraint that lets its performers do the heavy lifting. The Weekend isn’t without rough edges, like poor sound mixing issues, but Aniunoh and Franklin get put through the emotional wringer as the plausible but ill-fated lovebirds facing the worst. It makes for a breezy, engaging, and unconventional horror-thriller.

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Beacon introduces Emily (Julia Goldani Telles), a young woman circumnavigating the globe on a solo sail using old-school techniques. She hails from a long line of seafarers, though she’s the first woman in her family to continue the tradition. Considering the common nautical superstition involving women on board, that sets her off on the wrong foot. Then she eats her offering to the sea god Neptune. Cut to a freak storm that leaves Emily shipwrecked on an island with her rescuer, lighthouse keeper Ismael (The Nun‘s Demián Bichir). The harsh weather conditions leave the pair trapped together with no easy way to communicate with the outside world.

Cabin fever and mistrust set in as Emily begins to realize Ismael’s warm demeanor may harbor dark secrets.

Director Roxy Shih, working from a script by Julio Rojas, aims for moody, atmospheric tension in the constant push-and-pull between Emily and Ismael. Beacon lets its actors do the heavy lifting in establishing the stakes, tension, and horror. There’s an easy warmth and calm to Ismael that earns Emily’s initial trust and patience that instantly disarms. However, Emily is a young woman traveling alone, and not even isolation or injury can completely lower her guard. It’s exacerbated by the unforgiving weather and the island’s rough terrain, prompting Emily to question whether it’s Ismael or Mother Nature who’s isolating them from rescue. 

It’s a slow, steady progression of escalating mistrust and tension as Emily grows more frantic about leaving the island and Ismael clings tighter to superstition. Despite occasional bursts of explosive confrontations between the leads, Shih keeps the psychological turmoil more understated, letting the small details and performances do the heavy lifting. The more paranoia punctures the quiet safety, the more Shih layers in mythical imagery to instill doubt in both Emily and Ismael. It’s all a measured bid to land the appropriate level of shock for the closing moments, but it’s perhaps too restrained.

Telles and Bichir make quick work of earning rooting interest in their characters and just as easily instill doubt when mistrust sets in. It’s a consistent guessing game; is it all in Emily’s head, or are the hints toward Ismael’s delusional tendencies something to actually fear? Or perhaps the sea is still angry at Emily’s initial defiance that led her here? Beacon waits until the last possible second to answer these questions. While the reveal ultimately makes for a satisfying capper, the less is more approach means it’s light on horror and momentum.

The fleeting teases of body horror and a mythical element at play largely fall to the wayside in this character-focused chamber piece. Shih steers this ship with confidence, anchored by an effectively complex performance by Bichir, but Beacon is too minimalistic and its horror too restrained to fully engage. The potential for something more beyond a stir-crazy psychodrama never quite manifests into a full-blown nautical nightmare.

Beacon made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Release info TBA.

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A shocking act of violence opens The Devil’s Bath, one that lays the narrative groundwork while offering ample horror to hold fans over as it shifts into a meticulous character study. It’s the type of cold open that’s unsettling and taboo, shaking up the filmmakers’ usual depiction of evil children. From there, the film introduces Agnes (Anja Plaschg), a gentle soul with an affinity for kindness and nature. We meet Agnes on the day she’s to wed her betrothed, Wolf (David Scheid). The village-wide revelry shows promise of enduring happiness for the new couple, but Agnes quickly finds herself struggling to adapt to Wolf’s way of life.

Combined with societal pressures, the young bride finds her desperation mounting as isolation sets in, escalating until it pushes her down a dark path toward evil.

Shot on glorious 35mm, Franz and Fiala painstakingly recreate the period to depict the harsh realities of the 18th century. The gentle Agnes is wholly unprepared for the labor intensive life on Wolf’s land, from the physically grueling work of mongering fish from Wolf’s muddy pond to the strict schedule her mother in law, Mother Gänglin (Maria Hofstätter), expects her to already know. Agnes’ despair grows increasingly dire the more she fails her wifely duties.

It’s not just the stunning production design that conveys the crude way of life but the subtle character details that shape Agnes’ daunting arc. Scheid infuses Wolf with a sympathetic nature but one duty bound to his responsibilities. Wolf loves and cares for Agnes, but he, too, is shackled by the societal norms of this era. His pure but unromantic love for Agnes eschews 18th-century norms, and it further catalyzes her psychological unraveling.

Of course, this film belongs to Plaschg, who instantly endears with her kind-hearted nature but rips your heart out with the film’s emotionally devastating finale. The horror here stems from reality and historical accounts centered around depression in an age where medicine was primitive. Franz and Fiala take it to physical extremes as Agnes resorts to more and more desperate measures to cauterize her suffering. But it’s Plaschg that makes Agnes’ anguish palpable, delivering a rousing, heartbreaking emotional breakdown in the climax.

The Devil’s Bath saturates itself so thoroughly in misery and psychological distress that it’s difficult not to be affected by Agnes’ plight. But it also leaves you so wrung out emotionally that it’s not one that you’ll want to revisit again any time soon. That the horror stems from grim reality and historical accounts leaves no room for levity or escapism; it’s two hours of escalating suffering, building toward a horrific finale that packs a potent, somber punch. The exquisite craftsmanship and powerhouse performances keep you deeply invested in this downward spiral, but buckle up: it’s a downer of the highest order.

The Devil’s Bath opens at the IFC Center in New York June 21 before arriving exclusively on Shudder on June 28.

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Photographer Alex Clark (Green Room’s Kai Lennox) embarks on a solo road trip to capture abandoned roadside structures and buildings in desolate stretches of Southwestern desert, hoping to reinvigorate his stalled career. Alex smartly approaches his solo trip with caution, with frequent calls home to his wife Sam (A Wounded Fawn’s Sarah Lind) on updates. That’s disrupted when he overhears alarming sounds coming from next door during his stay at a seedy motel. It leads to his chance meeting with the rowdy Renny (Zachary Ray Sherman) and the woman he introduces as his sister, Susie (Ashley B. Smith). The wild pair exhibit telltale signs of danger but with enough warmth and charisma to lower Alex’s guard, plunging him into an unpredictable nightmare.

Erkman, who co-wrote the screenplay with Bossi Baker, hangs this genre-bender on the familiar framework of neo-noir. Themes of isolation, alienation, and paranoia saturate the frame and its characters. It’s in the decayed landscapes captured with grainy photography and in Alex’s hushed, strained voicemails left for Sam that signals his stalled career has impacted far more than his wallet.

It’s also in the charismatic yet volatile Renny, whose hair-trigger paranoia makes him a wildcard that keeps Alex, and the viewer by proxy, on razor’s edge. Sherman gives an explosive performance with just enough vulnerability that makes it so easy to see why Alex’s curiosity overrides all obvious red flags. But it’s morally murky private detective Harold Palladino (Southbound and The Toxic Avenger’s David Yow) who threatens to steal the show. There’s a kindhearted but world-weary savviness to Harold that feels safe, like a life raft in rough waters, but his vices create doubt.

Doubt factors heavily into Erkman and Baker’s script, which refuses to follow a linear path. All bets are off after act one, with narrative turns that are impossible to see coming. It’s there where Erkman layers in the horror, subtle first, then shockingly dark and violent. In true neo-noir form, there’s a savage nihilism to A Desert that packs a punch. Even more so in the way Erkman plays it close to the vest with the more dubious characters and their motivations.

A Desert reaches a fitting conclusion, thematically and tonally, but the steadfast refusal for tidy answers may polarize. Still, the refreshingly unpredictable journey and richly textured worldbuilding establish Erkman as a bold new voice, one that deftly blends genres with stunning precision. The debut filmmaker juxtaposes a landscape abandoned and eroded by time with larger-than-life characters, nearly all of them operating in shades of moral decay or corruption. It makes for a deeply engaging journey, one that continues to signal alarm bells from the moment Alex meets Renny right through its bleak final act.

A Desert made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Release TBD.

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The A-Frame introduces Donna (Dana Namerode) at one of the lowest points in her life as a musician with bone cancer that will require the amputation of her most crucial tool: her arm. That means when we meet her, she’s deep in the anger stage of grief that causes her to lash out. Even at a new cancer support group, where she’s scolded by the group’s host Linda (Laketa Caston). But then Donna meets Sam (Johnny Whitworth), a quantum physicist with a groundbreaking machine that connects to a subatomic universe. One with the added bonus of curing cancer. But in their desperation for a scientific breakthrough and miracle cure, the blurred ethical lines lead to catastrophic consequences.

There’s not an ounce of fat in the brisk 83-minute runtime; Reeder hits the ground running in establishing the grim stakes for Donna. Even more so with Rishi (Nik Dodani), a stand-up comedian facing mortality with his advanced stage cancer, and Linda. But Reeder handles this aspect with utmost care, ensuring that, despite the sci-fi, it’s depicted authentically. That goes far in instilling rooting interest and empathy.

It’s matched by the effortless, charismatic swagger of Sam; Whitworth channels Jeff Bridges’ “The Dude” for his atypically warm physicist looking for a mutually beneficial partnership to test his miracle machine. Whitworth’s charisma and wit blur the ambiguity of Sam, but it’s Namerode’s ability to toggle between the seriousness of Donna’s dilemma and the wackier comedic moments that’s a trickier needle to thread. And she does it well. 

Reeder unspools the shaky morals that give way to something far more sinister with crisp style. The vibrant hues and production design, particularly around the titular machine that serves as a gateway between universes, further draw you into this intimate story. Zach Clark’s editing keeps the momentum building at a steady clip while adding visual interest through stylized transitions. The style flourishes helps when the somberness of mortality occasionally clashes with the quirky off-beat sense of humor that’s closely tethered to the horror.

That this is a smaller effort means that the horror isn’t as prominent as it could be; Reeder focuses on character work first and foremost to ensure its final punchline lands- and it does. But when Reeder does let the horror loose, the practical effects more than make up for the wait. The A-Frame brings the appropriate level of viscera, slime, and goop.  

The A-Frame doesn’t quite do enough to avoid direct comparisons to films like The Fly or From Beyond, but it is a quick, mean, and gruesome morality play with a perfect ending that’ll leave you in stitches or reaching for the barf bag. Likely both.

The A-Frame made its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Release TBD.

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Horror fans can look forward to buzzy titles like The Devil’s Bath, from filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. But the horror extends beyond the Midnight section, including the premiere of AMFAD: All My Friends Are Dead. Look for the festival to give special presentations of Alfred Hitchcock and Tod Browning classics, too.

Finally, if you’re a Godzilla fan, don’t miss the epic bash the fest is throwing for the classic film’s 70th anniversary.

Read on for 14 can’t miss events and screenings to catch at Tribeca:

The A-Frame (United States) – World Premiere. A quantum physicist’s machine opens a portal to a subatomic universe, accidentally discovering a radical cancer treatment. As human trials begin, the stakes rise in this Cronenbergian sci-fi comedy. ​​Directed and written by Calvin Lee Reeder. Produced by Ran Namerode, Angelia Adzic, Cole Payne. With Johnny Whitworth, Dana Namerode, Nik Dodani, Laketa Caston.

Why we’re excited: Expect things to get goopy in a darkly comedic way, that feels skin to a Tales from the Crypt episode.

When: Tickets for screenings on June 7, June 8, and June 14 can be acquired here.

AMFAD: All My Friends Are Dead, (United States) – World Premiere. Slasher cinema gets a candy-coated and raucous new spin as a group of young friends staying at an Airbnb are picked off one by one by a killer whose elaborate murder set pieces are inspired by the seven deadly sins. ​​Directed by Marcus Dunstan. Written by Josh Sims, Jessica Sarah Flaum. Produced by John Baldecci, Sarah Donnelly, Kirk Shaw. With Jade Pettyjohn, Jojo Siwa, Jennifer Ens, Ali Fumiko Whitney. A Cineverse release.

Why we’re excited: A candy colored slasher from the director of The Collector and Feast.

When: Tickets for screenings on June 8, June 10, and June 11 can be found here.

Beacon, (United States) – World Premiere. After an ambitious solo trip leaves her shipwrecked on a remote island, a young sailor is rescued by its lone inhabitant: a lighthouse keeper. As the walls of reality begin to vanish and the trust between them unravels, survival becomes a test of grueling proportions. ​​Directed by Roxy Shih. Written by Julio Rojas. Produced by Neil Elman. With Demián Bichir, Julia Goldani Telles. Produced by FOX Entertainment’s Tideline.

Why we’re excited: Isolated horror with paranoia and The Nun‘s Demián Bichir has the makings for an atmospheric creepfest.

When: Tickets for screenings on June 8, June 9, and June 13 can be purchased here.

The Damned, (UK, Iceland, Ireland, Belgium) – World Premiere. When a ship sinks near her isolated fishing post, Eva must choose: rescue the shipwrecked or survive winter. Guilt ridden, the fishermen believe they are being punished for their choices. Directed by Thordur Palsson. Written by Jamie Hannigan. Produced by Emilie Jouffroy, Kamilla Kristiane Hodøl, John Keville. With Odessa Young, Joe Cole, Rory McCann, Siobhan Finneran.

Why we’re excited: Period drama meets Icelandic folklore, leading to a grim chiller that may or may not veer into the supernatural.

When: Tickets for screenings on June 6, June 7, and June 12 can be purchased here.

A Desert, (United States) – World Premiere. While on a road trip, a photographer befriends a young couple whose reckless ways turn his world upside down and into a nightmare in this unpredictable and horror-tinged neo-noir knockout. ​​Directed by Joshua Erkman. Written by Joshua Erkman, Bossi Baker. Produced by Hugues Barbier, Joshua Erkman. With David Yow, Kai Lennox, Sarah Lind, Zachary Ray Sherman.

Why we’re excited: An unpredictable neo-noir thriller that’s unafraid to get gritty or violent, but it’s the narrative twists that sets this apart.

When: Tickets for screenings on June 7, June 8, and June 12 can be acquired here.

The Devil’s Bath, (Austria, Germany) – International Premiere. In 18th century Austria, an executed woman has been displayed for all to see. Deeply religious, newlywed Agnes looks upon the woman with pity, but also longing, as her own evil thoughts have begun to arise. Directed and written by Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz. Produced by Georg Aschauer, Ulrich Seidl. With Anja Plaschg, Maria Hofstätter, David Scheid. A Shudder release.

Why we’re excited: Expect the bleakest film yet from Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, the filmmakers behind The Lodge and Goodnight Mommy.

When: Tickets for screenings on June 8, June 9, and June 13 can be purchased here.

North by Northwest 70mm Restoration (United States). Cary Grant stars as an innocent man mistaken for a spy in one of director Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest thrillers. While leaving New York’s Plaza Hotel, advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Grant) has the misfortune of standing just as the name “George Kaplan” is paged–starting a lethal case of mistaken identity and a nonstop game of cat and mouse as he is pursued across North America by espionage agents trying to kill him–and by police who suspect him of murder.

North By Northwest (1959) was filmed in VistaVision and released in 1.85. Warner Bros.

Motion Picture Imaging scanned the original 8-perf 35mm VistaVision camera negative in 13k with all restoration work completed in 6.5k, Sheri Eisenberg, Colorist. The 70mm film print was created at Fotokem by filming out a new 65mm negative. Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services created a 5.1 audio mix from the original mono stems with Doug Mountain, Sound Mixer. Inventure Studios created the DTS encoded deliverable of the restored audio to playback flawlessly with the 70mm film print. This newly restored version has been approved by the Film Foundation.

Why we’re excited: A 70mm restoration of an Alfred Hitchcock classic. Enough said.

When: Screens June 12, and tickets can be found here.

Restless, (UK) – World Premiere. The banal life of a middle-aged empty nester is violently shaken in the blink of an eye when hard-partying — and potentially dangerous — new neighbors move in next door. ​​Directed and written by Jed Hart. Produced by Benedict Turnbull, Iain Simpson, Jens Nielsen. With Lyndsey Marshal, Aston McAuley, Barry Ward, Kate Robbins.

Why we’re excited: A genre-bender that all but promises to surprise.

When: Screens June 9, June 10, and June 13; tickets can be found here.

She Loved Blossoms More, (Greece, France) – World Premiere. Hoping to bring their dead mother back to life, three brothers build a time machine in this visually decadent, bizarre and altogether mesmerizing head-trip. ​​Directed by Yannis Veslemes. Written by Yannis Veslemes, Dimitris Emmanouilidis. Produced by Fenia Cossovitsa, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos. With Panos Papadopoulos, Dominique Pinon.

Why we’re excited: A surreal voyage with eye-catching imagery to match.

When: Tickets for screenings on June 9, June 10, and June 12 can be acquired here.

The Unknown, (United States). A masterclass in subversion, Tod Browning’s 1927 silent film classic shocks and awes through Lon Chaney’s towering performance as carnival knife thrower “Alonzo the Armless.” It’s also an early watershed moment for disability representation in horror cinema, its power remaining potent nearly 100 years later. Directed by Tod Browning. Produced by Irving G. Thalberg. With Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford. Reconstruction and digital restoration courtesy of the George Eastman Museum from 35mm prints at GEM and the Národní filmovy archiv, with the support of The National Film Preservation Foundation.

After the Movie: A conversation between actor, writer, and disability advocate Mat Fraser and fellow actor and disability advocate Christine Bruno.

Why we’re excited: A rare screening of an underseen gem from Freaks and Dracula director Tod Browning, followed by a thoughtful discussion on representation.

When: June 6, 7pm – Tickets here.

Vulcanizadora, (United States) – World Premiere. In this intense tale from provocateur Joel Potrykus, two friends embark on a disturbing mission in the Michigan woods. When their plan unravels, one must face the surreal and unsettling consequences back home. ​​Directed and written by Joel Potrykus. Produced by Ashley Potrykus, Hannah Dweck, Matt Grady. With Joshua Burge, Joel Potrykus, Bill Vincent, Solo Potrykus.

Why we’re excited: Joel Potrykus (The Alchemist Cookbook) excels at offbeat genre-benders with biting wit.

When: Tickets for screenings on June 8, June 9, June 11, and June 13 can be acquired here.

The Weekend, (Nigeria) – World Premiere. This gripping Nigerian thriller will keep you guessing until the very last moment with its unique take on the age-old question: what’s wrong with the in-laws? ​​Directed by Daniel Emeke Oriahi. Written by Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy, Vanessa Kanu, Freddie O. Anyaegbunam Jr. Produced by Uche Okocha. With Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Bucci Franklin, Meg Otanwa, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey.

Why we’re excited: A tense meeting of the in-laws leads to nail-biting thrills and horror.

When: Tickets for screenings on June 9, June 11, and June 15 can be purchased here.

Witches, (UK) – World Premiere. Elizabeth Sankey’s deeply personal documentary examines the relationship between the cinematic portrayals of witches and the all-too-real experiences of postpartum depression by utilizing footage that spans the entirety of film history alongside heartrending personal testimony. ​​Directed by Elizabeth Sankey. Produced by Manon Ardisson, Chiara Ventura, Jeremy Warmsley.

Why we’re excited: Documentaries exploring film histories tend to be illuminating, and cinematic depictions of witches makes for a great subject.

When: Screens June 9, June 10, and June 15; tickets can be found here.

TRIBECA MUSIC LOUNGE & ESCAPE FROM TRIBECA

Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of GODZILLA, the King of the Monsters, in the best possible way: with a late-night dance party big enough to honor history’s greatest kaiju. In partnership with Toho International, this one-of-a-kind extravaganza features superstar DJ Takuya Nakamura, mad punks AnChikSho and the legendary all-female Japanese rock band Hard Nips! Featuring a curated collection of epic Godzilla footage, signature drinks, giveaways, costumes, and even self-described “Fake Scientist” Shyaporn Theerakulstit, who will be joining this very official anniversary celebration of the Big G by presenting his hilariously un-official Godzilla “research” via the Nerd-Nite-approved lecture “Godzilla: History, Biology and Behavior of Hyper-Evolved Theropod Kaiju.” Come party with the King!

DATE: Friday, June 7
TIME: 10:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn
Tickets and more info here.

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It’s going to be battle to the death between a serial killer and a psychopath.

Lumberjack the Monster will make its North American premiere on May 6 at the Japan Society, in partnership with Tribeca Festival’s Escape from Tribeca, ahead of its Netflix debut on June 1, 2024.

In the film, “Akira Ninomiya (Kamenashi) is a remorseless lawyer who doesn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. One night he is brutally attacked by an unknown assailant wearing a monster mask. Although he miraculously survives the assault, Ninomiya becomes fixated on finding the attacker and getting revenge. Meanwhile, a series of gruesome murders occur where the victims are found with their brains removed from their bodies. While police conduct an intensive investigation, Ninomiya seeks revenge against the assaulter. Who will uncover the truth first?!”

Hiroyoshi Koiwai (Blade of the Immortal, Bleach) wrote the screenplay.

Kazuya Kamenashi, Nanao, Riho Yoshioka, Shota Sometani, and Shido Nakamura star.

The film’s official site explains, “A series of bizarre murders in which people wear a monster mask from the picture book ‘Monster Woodcutter’ and steal their brains with an axe.” The teaser also touts Miike’s feature as “insanely suspenseful.”

Whoever loses, all signs point to audiences winning. Miike always delivers on the unexpected and never shies away from pushing boundaries when it comes to violence or taboos.

Lumberjack the Monster premiered in Japan in December, 2023, so it’s good news that we don’t have much longer to wait.

If you need to explore more from the super violent world of Takashi Miike horror, you can check out Miike’s Gozu, a surreal genre film about a Yakuza enforcer, over on SCREAMBOX.

Tickets to the premiere are available now.

The post ‘Lumberjack the Monster’ – Takashi Miike’s Serial Killer vs Psychopath Thriller Heads to Netflix This Summer appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In the film, “An isolated man living in the back of a desolate caravan park is visited by a desperate young woman seeking shelter from a violent storm. As the savage storm worsens, these solitary souls begin to feel threatened- but who should really be afraid?”

Jordan Cowan and Brendan Rock star in the intimate horror feature penned by Bell. 

You’ll Never Find Me employs a classic horror setup – a raging storm traps two strangers alone at a remote location in the dark. Bell and Allen use the familiar setting to introduce a grim, contemporary horror story. The filmmakers spoke with Bloody Disgusting at Tribeca, discussing their debut’s origins and horror influences.

Bell wanted to subvert the conventional depiction of Australians in her debut feature: “We have a traditional style of film that comes out of Australia that portrays Australians in, often it’s a very positive light. It’s the guy with the ute and the dog, and he’s gorgeous, and he’s buff, and he’s tanned, and all that stuff. Which is great; we love gorgeous, buff, tanned Australian men. But at the same time, Australia is a really interesting place, and it has a lot of weird and interesting people who live there. Because we are such a large country with such a small population, it creates these pockets of little towns and lots of very isolated people, and people who perhaps are isolated for a reason or want to be isolated. When you encounter those people, you go, ‘Oh, that’s a side of Australia that I don’t think we present very much in films.'”

There’s a deceptiveness to the simplicity of You’ll Never Find Me. Two characters in one location for the film’s entire runtime leaves nowhere to hide; every element is essential, from lighting to staging to acting and everything in between.

Bell said of the challenges, “The hilarious thing about this whole process is that you think, ‘Oh, one location, two characters is simplifying filmmaking. It’s a nice simple thing to do for a first feature.’ That is just so wrong. It was really hard. And it’s one of those things that, sure, having a single location and two characters practically and for a shooting schedule does help, and it’s great. Everyone being together in the same place every day, really familiar with it, and you can pick up where you left off; it is great for a shooting schedule and awesome. But then, when it comes to it, it just puts so much more emphasis, like you said, on everything else, and everything else becomes really important, and every little detail in the house becomes really important. How you light everything becomes really important. How you keep everyone’s attention during the film becomes really important.”

“There was nothing to hide behind,” Allen elaborates. “Everything needed purpose. I think whether they’re aware of it or not, because we constantly present certain clues of what’s happening internally with the characters, you quickly realize you can’t have a meandering shot. Because the audience will start to overanalyze it. Again, even if they’re not used to analyzing the cinematic language, they do. For example, there were some scenes where we had a second camera going for coverage, and we could never use it because it just had to have such a specific point of view at all times.”

While Bell and Allen succeed in capturing a quintessential haunted mood, their influences are very modern. 

“Maxx Corkindale, our cinematographer, was just awesome,” Bell explains. “We spoke a lot to him about what we can do to keep the film fresh and visually interesting throughout when it’s all in one space, and changing up the lighting scheme as the film progresses to make it feel like it’s a new environment, even though we’re in the same place that we were in 20 minutes ago. In terms of a specific film, though, we did look a lot at the unusual stilted nature of Servant, the show, because we loved how they’re telling you something’s off just through the visual language of that show. It’s got this stilted nature to it, which we liked.“

Allen cites even more unexpected sources of inspiration: “I think we broke it up into sections; that’s the best way of thinking about it. I think we, like everyone, love people like David Fincher, but that was more broad for the first section. It’s not like we were going to Maxx, ‘Oh, we want it to feel like David Fincher,’ it’s just that he does that really interesting thing where he’s always with the characters; it never feels like there’s someone in the room filming like a documentary, you actually forget. Sometimes people overanalyze stuff like that, but in those filmmakers, the camera is just there, and you don’t ever think about the camera being there. It cumulatively creates an unsettling feeling. Perfectly following someone around, for some reason, gives you an unsettling feeling. And then, when you choose to then pan away from the character, you’re so used to constantly being with the camera that you’re like, ‘Why am I looking over there?’

“So, we talked about having a lot of restraint with the camera for that first section, constantly being connected to the characters, not being distracting, but having a real purpose. And then, once a variety of things happen and there’s a big lighting change, the power goes out. A film called It Comes At Night, which we love, used practical lighting in an interesting way. Not the classic cinema darkness.”

“But true dark,” Bell adds.

“True dark,” Allen nods. “We have a few shots which turn out interestingly, where someone’s walking through a space or a hall, and you can only see 10% of the frame. And I think that feels claustrophobic, changes up the space in an interesting way, but hopefully, you’re always feeling like there could be something in the shadows without us being, again, too there with it. The goal was, if we’re always feeling like something’s off and there’s this pressure-cooking, once we release the pressure, we throw all those rules out the window.”

The post ‘You’ll Never Find Me’ – Directors Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen Discuss Challenges in Creating Single-Location Horror [Interview] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Much like Jack Nicholson’s Jack Torrance, Bad Things introduces the lead character Ruthie (Gayle Rankin) as someone already a bit unstable from the outset. The idea is to spend a weekend with friends at the hotel Ruthie inherited, albeit an isolated hotel trapped in yesterday with outdated décor and a lack of guests. While Ruthie’s less enthused about staying at a place that holds traumatic memories, she’s distracted by her messy relationships with supportive girlfriend Cal (Hari Nef), Cal’s fiercely loyal pal Maddie (Rad Pereira), and the esoteric Fran (Annabelle Dexter-Jones), with whom Ruthie has cheated on Cal before and still harbors attraction.

Deep-seated traumas combined with complicated relationships in a secluded place dislodged from time transform a business venture test run into a violent nightmare.

Thorndike uses Kubrick’s classic horror movie as a blueprint to track Ruthie’s unraveling through flawed relationships. She begins as volatile and unreliable and only becomes more so when her sweet yet pushy girlfriend sees her inheritance as a potential business venture against her protestations. Cal also thinks this is the ideal weekend where Ruthie will finally take their relationship to the next level, despite Maddie’s mistrust and constant attempts to exploit Fran’s feelings for Ruthie. That constant needling, trying to corral Fran’s emotional outbursts, and the looming specter of Ruthie’s estranged mother (Molly Ringwald) mean that Ruthie begins from a place of extreme duress and tension.

In this depiction of complicated characters allowed to be flawed, selfish, and sloppy, Bad Things is at its most engaging. Rankin more than rises to the occasion of playing a protagonist prone to lashing out, giving into temptation, or retreating behind impenetrable emotional walls on a whim. Engaging in dialogue with The Shining, complete with ghosts, hallucinations, and iconic scenes revisited, underscores the central theme of self-preservation in the wake of misdeeds, feelings of abandonment, and haunted memories.

As refreshingly unapologetic as Bad Things can be for its unreliable, unlikable characters, introducing them already in a state of disarray and chaos leaves little room to evolve. Ruthie’s channeling of Jack Torrance means her arc is more of a flat line, albeit one that gets a bit bloodier as it barrels toward its conclusion. Maddie feels shoehorned into the proceedings, existing solely to drive a wedge between Cal and Ruthie and nothing more. Though it’s not a complete retread of The Shining, the parallels make it easier to predict the story’s direction.

Bad Things lets its women misbehave, affording them the space to cheat, lie, and come undone by mommy issues or unhealthy relationships. It does this by conversing with Kubrick’s seminal psychological horror adaptation of Stephen King’s story, warts and all. It’s a little too reliant on The Shining regarding the film’s identity. While the character arcs aren’t robust enough to satisfy, Rankin’s unhinged performance and the contemporary update to familiar work make for a fascinating horror exercise all the same. 

Bad Things made its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and will release on Shudder on August 18, 2023.

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Psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham) had it all; a doting husband in Edward (Johnathon Schaech), an enduring friendship with colleague Daniella Upton (Crampton), and a successful career. That changed the moment young Asa Waite (Judah Lewis) crashed into her life as a troubled patient suffering from an extreme personality disorder. Or does he? Asa claims that something’s possessed his father, Ephraim (Bruce Davison), and now it’s on the hunt for suitable flesh. The more Dr. Derby finds herself drawn to Asa’s plight, the more insane her story becomes in this obsessive tale of desire, lust, and body-hopping madness.

Fans of Lovecraft will find a treasure trove of Easter eggs to mine here. Still, it’s the way that Lynch seamlessly inserts Suitable Flesh into the same conversation as Stuart Gordon’s Lovecraft adaptations that most impresses. There’s painstaking attention to detail from the opening frame. It’s not just settings or characters that call back to the late Gordon’s memorable horror films, but aesthetics, tropes, and everything in between. Lynch brings the ‘90s penchant for soft lighting and saxophone music into the present for his erotic horror thriller and pays tribute to stalwart horror tropes like the sandwich-eating hospital morgue attendant (played by Graham Skipper, who played Herbert West in Re-Animator: The Musical).

While Suitable Flesh frequently looks and feels like a Stuart Gordon movie, Joe Lynch distinctly makes it his own by injecting a very different flavor of horror along with the innovative instinct to gender-flip the original Lovecraft story. Whereas Re-Animator and From Beyond embraced slime, goop, and gore, Suitable Flesh fixates on obsession and a psychological unraveling that gives the cast much to sink their teeth into. Heather Graham shines as the unwitting psychiatrist thrust into a dizzying quest to clear her name, channeling every personality in the process as Elizabeth Derby becomes untethered to her own skin. Graham and Judah Lewis aren’t just pulling double duty here; they’re tasked with taking on multiple roles in quick succession.

Johnathon Schaech brings levity as the gender-flipped doting housewife, and Barbara Crampton brings the emotional center through Daniella’s affecting friendship with Elizabeth. It’s an actor’s showcase as much as a nostalgic return to Gordon’s horror, and their chemistry ensures rooting interest.

Suitable Flesh makes for a more self-contained story, more interested in its characters and the consequences of body-hopping mayhem over visceral cosmic terrors. That’s not to say that Lynch doesn’t dole out grotesque violence, however. But Lynch pays tribute to a horror master through meticulous detail while avoiding a complete retread, ensuring Suitable Flesh may feel familiar, but it’s also unafraid to take unexpected detours or eschew outdated tropes. Lynch’s reverence for Gordon never exceeds his voice, blazing a thrilling path forward for a newer generation carrying the torch of horror masters. It results in a strange, beguiling horror effort that feels retro and new, capturing the essence of both Gordon and Lynch all at once.

Suitable Flesh made its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and will release later this year.

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We meet Meg (Jennifer Kim) amidst a harrowing escape, bloodied and wandering the street alone. Her husband Scott (Kentucker Audley) comes from an affluent family, and kidnappers held Meg captive at ransom for months until she managed to escape. Readjusting to everyday life isn’t easy for Meg, so Scott suggests a quiet weekend away at his family’s seaside estate. Plans for relaxation and recovery go awry when Scott’s cousin Madeline (Marin Ireland) arrives unannounced. Madeline’s disruptive presence and passive-aggressive behavior wreak havoc on Meg, causing recent wounds to reopen as paranoia, nightmares, and horrifying reality shifts ensue.

Lloyd bides her time establishing an off-kilter atmosphere that effectively removes any sense of safety, familiarity, or bearings for her protagonist to grab hold of. Are the microaggressions from Madeline a result of aristocratic arrogance or something more sinister? Why does Scott continue to sleepwalk toward strange family photos of missionary work in Korea? The strange closeness, bordering near flirtation, between Scott and Madeline unnerves. Then there are the eerie visions and nightmares that increasingly threaten to cross into Meg’s waking life.

Kim deftly navigates Meg’s complicated arc, giving every single emotional high and low that comes with PTSD the necessary weight. Tenuous attempts to resume normality give way to small fractures of Scott and Meg’s picture-perfect weekend getaway, then builds with unease as Meg increasingly becomes sure that something’s deeply amiss. Kim impressively brings Meg’s internalized anguish, mistrust, pain, and confused sense of reality to the surface, often nonverbally. There’s nothing tidy or straightforward about recovery, and neither is Meg’s story; Somewhere Quiet centers around a protagonist afforded the space to toggle between empathetic, unreliable, and even unlikable. Audley and Ireland fare just as strongly in this character study.

It’s in the bold choice to refuse easy answers that Lloyd’s debut will polarize. Somewhere Quiet prefers to mine its psychological terror from drama over scares, though the filmmaker does inject a few nightmarish scenarios and horror when needed. Lloyd also refuses to handhold or offer easy answers; there are none. Red herrings and thematic teases enter the equation in the bid to paint a somber portrait of a woman who survived months in captivity only to discover she’s irrevocably changed in a world no longer the same. While Lloyd refreshingly gives her characters the space to be so profoundly broken and sometimes outright untrustworthy, it can sometimes make it tough to grasp Meg’s account, especially when the genre elements ramp up.

That Lloyd matches Meg’s erratic and occasionally volatile nature in tone and genre means Somewhere Quiet defies easy categorization. But it only contributes to the fascinating character study that steadfastly withholds artificial catharsis. For those that don’t mind wading into the darker recesses of a fractured mind, Somewhere Quiet offers a melancholic, intimate, and moody seaside epilogue of a Final Girl’s story.

Somewhere Quiet made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

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A torrential downpour late one evening brings an unexpected Visitor (Jordan Cowan) to a stranger’s door in a quiet RV park. She’s soaked, on edge, and needs a phone to call for help. The man, Patrick (Brendon Rock), invites the Visitor inside to dry off and take refuge from the raging storm outside. The woman hesitantly accepts her guard up at potential danger, even with Patrick’s attempts to disarm her with warm hospitality. The mistrust is palpable, though, as is the feeling that something’s deeply amiss. Being trapped inside by unforgiving weather leads to a night of suspicion and paranoia as perceptions are challenged, and all is not as it appears.

Bell (who also wrote the screenplay) and Allen mine a sustained unease from the outset through the atmosphere. For an intimate story centered almost entirely around two actors, the filmmakers use sound design and brooding staging and cinematography by Maxx Corkindale to create visual interest and a relentless sense of foreboding. The rain pelting the RV and rolling thunder makes for a beguiling contrast to the quiet push and pull between the two strangers.

The dialogue-heavy feature keeps the audience at arm’s length, making it difficult to know which stranger should earn the audience’s allegiance as they embark on a tense push and pull. Credited only as The Visitor, Cowan imbues her with plausible weariness as a woman alone with a strange older man in the middle of the night, with no way to call for help lest things take a dark turn. Yet the guarded Visitor seems to harbor secrets of her own that grow more suspicious the kinder and more open Patrick becomes. The nuanced range in both characters keep you guessing, even as Bell and Allen weave in more recognizable horror elements.

For a horror feature set on a deeply dark and stormy night, You’ll Never Find Me does contain ghosts. But Bell and Allen’s interpretation of them breaks from convention in a clever way that ensures the third act packs a potent punch. The carefully plotted examination of what it means to be haunted and why eschews classic paranormal horror in favor of grim realism that lingers long after the credits roll.

You’ll Never Find Me is a horror Trojan horse; a classic haunted house setup complete with howling winds, punishing rain, and blackouts allow for a unique exploration of ghosts. It’s fitting for a feature that hinges on the core theme that appearances can be deceiving. While it bides its time to get there, reveling in the subtle details, extensive dialogue, and brooding mood along the way, Bell and Allen’s confident grasp on this story ensures it culminates in a finale that’ll haunt you.

You’ll Never Find Me made its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

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The festival’s 22nd edition offers a hybrid experience of virtual and in-person, with notable genre programming dedicated to repertory screenings that include Re-Animator to upcoming premieres.  In other words, Tribeca’s bringing the horror this year.

Here are five titles we can’t wait to see at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Bad Things (United States) – World Premiere

In this haunting thriller, a new variation of psychological horror invites audiences to question the limitations of our contemporary relationships with people and spaces, and the implications of undealt trauma.

Written/Directed by Stewart Thorndike. Gayle Rankin, Hari Nef, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, and Rad Pereira star.

Why we’re excited: Haunted hotels and fragile minds pair well together in horror, as The Shining classically demonstrated.

Perpetrator (United States, France) – North American Premiere

Teenager Jonny gains supernatural abilities through a mystical transformation, just as girls from her new school go missing. Jonny takes the investigation into her own hands in this coming-of-age, feminist horror-noir.

Directed and written by Jennifer Reeder. Produced by Derek Bishé, Gregory Chambet. With Kiah McKirnan, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Lowell, Melanie Liburd, Ireon Roach. A Shudder release.

Why we’re excited: Jennifer Reeder’s Night’s End and Knives and Skin ensure we can expect the unexpected with a stylish twist.

Somewhere Quiet (United States) – World Premiere

Meg (Jennifer Kim) is trying to readjust to normal life after recently being involved in a heinous abduction. To recenter herself, she takes a trip to the woods by the coast in Cape Cod with her husband Scott (Kentucker Audley) to stay at his wealthy family’s countryside compound. Scott’s cousin arrives, wreaking havoc on Meg’s sanity and leaving her questioning the truth behind her kidnapping.

Directed and written by Olivia West Lloyd in her feature debut. Marin Ireland also stars.

Why we’re excited: A psychological genre-bender that questions what happens after the Final Girl survives? Sign us up.

Suitable Flesh (United States) – North American Premiere

After murdering her young patient, a once-esteemed psychiatrist helplessly watches her life spiral into a nightmarish maelstrom of supernatural hysteria and gruesome deaths, all linked to a seemingly unstoppable ancient curse.

Directed by Joe Lynch, written by Dennis Paoli. Heather Graham, Judah Lewis, Bruce Davison, Johnathon Schaech, and Jonah Ray also star.

Why we’re excited: Lynch helming a Lovecraft tale executive produced by Brian Yuzna, starring Barbara Crampton, and written by Paoli? It’s a Stuart Gordon reunion that we never saw coming.

You’ll Never Find Me (Australia) – World Premiere

During a rampaging storm, a shaken young woman arrives at a stranger’s door in an RV park seeking shelter. They both question motives and desires as things escalate to a deadly, bizarre showdown.

Directed by Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell, written by Indianna Bell. Produced by Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell, Jordan Cowan, Christine Williams. With Jordan Cowan, Brendan Rock.

Why we’re excited: Some of the best horror stories always begin on a dark and stormy night, after all.

Stay tuned for Bloody Disgusting’s full Tribeca 2023 coverage!

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Strangers Rose (Katie Parker, Absentia, “The Haunting of Bly Manor”) and Teddy (Rahul Kohli, “Midnight Mass”) meet at a car rental place. Both planned a long drive from New York to San Francisco for appointments with Dr. Stevenson (Karen Gillan) and her revolutionary scientific study Life Beyond. In it, Dr. Stevenson helps volunteers commit pain-free suicide so she can study the afterlife and how ghosts interact with the mortal plane. Rose and Teddy couldn’t be further apart in personality and motivations but traveling together over what’s to be their final days forges deep bonds as they confront the pasts that haunt them.

Elfman casts this world of ghosts in washed-out lighting. It’s a wintry road trip for Rose and Teddy, but the cold is as internal as it is external. It parallels the slow thawing between the pair. What begins as a caustic, tenuous partnership by necessity evolves into something far more complex and endearing. The supernatural element is merely peripheral and supplemental to Elfman’s character-driven dramedy. The ghosts occasionally scare, but this is a narrative about the living.

That’s more prevalent with Rose, an abrasive and guarded character still very much tormented by literal ghosts from her past. Opposite her is the more lighthearted and listless Teddy, with very different reasons for this Life Beyond appointment. Rose and Teddy frequently bicker and clash until various scenarios and encounters along the route lead to common ground and appreciation. It’s a romantic comedy scenario shrouded by the afterlife and suicide ideations.

Parker and Kohli again demonstrate effortless charisma that imbues rooting interest from the outset. Next Exit may present a world with a definitive afterlife, but it’s not interested in exploring any answers. As Rose and Teddy encounter suicidal hitchhikers, PTSD-afflicted veterans, and uplifting priests that alter their perceptions, Elfman seeks to underscore that no one knows what they’re doing or holds life’s secrets. The filmmaker is more interested in how that intimately affects her lead characters. As broad and shallow as that can be, Parker and Kohli bring complexity and an infectious charm to their characters that invest you regardless. You wind up caring about Rose and Teddy even if they don’t seem to care about themselves.

Despite the bleak premise, Next Exit aims to instill hope. It’s not just the cast that’s reminiscent of Mike Flanagan’s works, but the ponderous monologues and reflections on life framed through the supernatural. It’s a charming dramedy that pares back scale and style. It never gets too heady or deep with its musings either, and the pacing can sag because of it. Instead, Next Exit is a loose, horror-adjacent showcase for Parker and Kolhi’s talents. Forget about the afterlife; their winsome performances and chemistry will leave you wondering why they aren’t more prominent stars.

Next Exit made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The post ‘Next Exit’ Tribeca Review – Supernatural Drama Ponders Life’s Meaning on Road Trip Toward Death appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Has-been Danish actress Maya (Josephine Park) bumps into the younger Jewish academic Leah (Ellie Kendrick, “Game of Thrones”) at a library, where Maya’s late to entertain children as her former popular Christmas TV character. Though chaotic, sparks fly between the pair. They fall fast for each other, but Leah soon suffers a seizure that results in an injury and prompts a return home to London. Maya, fearing her relationship will get cut short, chooses to accompany Leah. There she meets Leah’s overbearing mother, Chana (Sofie Gråbøl), who lives in the downstairs flat. Not only is Chana unwelcoming and abrasive, but her volatile relationship with Leah’s uncle (David Dencik) hints at dark family secrets. It’s only the tip of the iceberg; strange behaviors and unsettling experiences of relationship interference might extend to the supernatural, with Leah harboring the biggest secret of all.

Gislason carefully layers in the worldbuilding obstacles between Maya and Leah, taking care to instill rooting interest in this romance despite the core protagonists not knowing much about one another. It’s not just the relationship that’s new for Maya, but Leah’s Jewish background. It makes Maya’s role trickier in trying to learn family traditions and win over the aloof Chana while attempting to understand Leah’s strange nightly behaviors. Conversely, Leah knows her family better than her love interest; therefore, she is far more dismissive of Maya’s concerns.

Gislason uses the normalcy of early relationship woes as a foundation for horror allegory. The friction between Chana, Maya, and Leah breeds tension and conflict. It sets up a supernaturally charged metaphor for codependency. Leah and Chana need each other, but which one is more parasitic than the other? Is it all in Maya’s head as the one unwitting driving a wedge between mother and daughter? The filmmaker succeeds in presenting complex dynamics and love obstacles before even weaving in the Dybbuk.

As things grow tenser for the characters, so, too, does the horror. Gislason layers the terror with methodical precision. Leah’s seizures start as unsettling but benign, but symptoms increase with regularity and palpable dread. Before long, it becomes clear a far more malevolent presence has entered the equation, bringing many chilling moments that showcase Kendrick’s talent for toggling emotions and personas with ease. Framing much of the story through Maya’s perspective prolongs the truths in a fascinating, enigmatic way that adds an unpredictable quality.

Once the pieces do click in place, however, Attachment falls prey to the familiar possession formula. A too tidy climactic conclusion diminishes its emotional impact and wraps up this messy relationship triangle with ease. It deflates so much pent-up and well-earned tension.

Engaging performances, a unique and dread-soaked world, and a flair for spooky horror grounded in realism set Attachment apart. The horror allegory for codependency told through Orthodox Judaism reinvigorates an oft-stale subgenre, even though Gislason’s simple resolution can’t avoid possession pitfalls by the journey’s end.  

Attachment premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and release date on Shudder TBD.

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Fifteen-year-old Simi (Nina Katlein) arrives at her Aunt Claudia’s (Pia Hierzegger) house just ahead of Easter weekend. Simi hopes her aunt, a renowned nutritionist and a health book best-seller, will help her lose weight, though she waits until she gets there to ask for Claudia’s guidance. Claudia agrees, immediately putting Simi on strict caloric restrictions and harsh rules. Then Simi must contend with her hostile cousin Filipp (Alexander Sladek), while Filipp’s stepdad Stefan (Michael Pink) is unusually warm towards her. The closer to Easter Sunday it gets, the tenser the family becomes. The truth behind the behavior is more harrowing than Simi could’ve ever anticipated.

Hengl drops his naïve young protagonist into a tangled web. It’s apparent from the outset that Simi doesn’t know her aunt or cousin very well, her rare visitation sparked solely by personal motivations. That unfamiliarity with her surroundings and people breeds discomfort straightaway. Simi, and the viewer by proxy, are perpetually on edge as she walks on eggshells to avoid trigging the anger of Filipp or Claudia. Claudia is initially much warmer and more welcoming than her son, Filipp, but falsely planted evidence of hidden snacks brings Claudia’s wrath upon Simi and accusations of not taking her nutritional advice to heart. Observing the volatile relationship between Stefan and Filipp becomes a source of paranoia, another significant red flag that something’s amiss.

Family Dinner applies steady pressure to the psychological horror, sending Simi from one uneasy encounter to another within an increasingly claustrophobic household. Food, and lack thereof, plays a vital role in instilling dread. Food and the ritual of eating are intrinsic to Claudia, who’s built an entire career from it. How Hengl frames and incorporates food provides more insight and answers where dialogue doesn’t; the filmmaker isn’t interested in spelling things out for the audience in more conventional ways.

Because the narrative is framed from Simi’s perspective, Claudia and Stefan are just out of reach throughout. To retain enigmatic dread, Hengl keeps the adult characters as strangers. Simi’s closest and most frequent interactions are with her similarly-aged cousin or phone calls with her mother. Keeping Claudia and Stefan at arm’s length lends to the unsettling atmosphere but dampens the impact of the reveals.

Easter brings the slow simmer to a roaring boil. Fraught psychological dread explodes in violent horror. Hengl’s foreshadowing skills mean audiences may vaguely guess where things are headed, but its grisly details keep you guessing. While the third act brings a more explosive payoff, it’s still slightly restrained. It’s in the oppressive mood and atmosphere that Family Dinner shines brightest. Hengl’s grasp of imagery and exploitation of character insecurities goes far in creating a twisted family gathering of nightmarish proportions. Much like the diet-obsessed and particular Claudia, Family Dinner wants you to savor the details. It requires more patience, and its payoff may not achieve quite the explosive highs intended. Even still, it leaves you with a lot to chew on.  

Family Dinner made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, with no release date announced at this time.

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Valeria (Natalia Solián) and her husband Raúl (Alfonso Dosal) finally succeed in getting pregnant after trying for so long. Becoming parents seems like the next step in their blissful lives; they’re over the moon for what’s to come. But the further into the pregnancy that Valeria gets, the more pervasive her dread and worries grow. It’s compounded by strange visitations of an eerie woman trying to break in or other supernatural occurrences that no one notices by Valeria. As everyone around her questions her sanity, Valeria looks to her past for answers.

Director Michelle Garza Cervera, who co-wrote with Abia Castillo, uses horror imagery to shatter the careful façade Valeria created for herself. She seems happy and focused on her husband’s happiness. So much so that she appears to alter parts of herself to maintain his idyllic vision of her. Valeria’s attempts to hide her smoking habit are futile, but an awkward family dinner gives more insight into just how much of her she’s shielded from Raúl. Never mind that her family questions Valeria’s interest or capability in child-raising. Enter the Huesera, a bone-breaking, faceless specter that seems to follow and torment her while no one else is around.

Cervera uses the Huesera to create unsettling moments that build tangible dread and suspense. More prominent than the atmosphere, though, is the way the haunting figure is employed as a tool to crack open Valeria’s psyche and expose repressed emotions and anxieties. The ghastly image of Huesera and cracking of bones, often underscoring Valeria’s nervous tick of knuckle-cracking, forces a terrifying confrontation within Valeria. Folklore becomes the focal point of inner conflict, of Valeria forced to reckon with identity and aspirations that derailed long ago if she’s any hope for her future.

As intense as some of those sequences can be, as much due to the potent sound design as the imagery itself, the horror elements are supplemental to Valeria’s arc. It’s a means of forcing Valeria to accept hard truths, no matter how dangerous her denial becomes. The drama of her emotional journey takes center stage, and Solián deftly navigates the complexities of trying to uphold societal and familial expectations against shifting realities and exposed vulnerabilities. 

When so many pregnancy horror movies isolate the mother-to-be, breeding mistrust from everyone around her, Huesera internalizes it. Refreshingly, it’s less about motherhood and more about the loss of self. Cervera never pushes the ambiguity of Huesera’s torment, either, which means it’s up to the scare sequences to deliver the surprises. That Cervera uses a lot of restraint with the scares, putting the drama at the forefront means her feature debut is more horror adjacent than outright horror. But her firm grasp of imagery and tension-building is focused and effective, using fear to engender sympathy with laser precision. Even if Valeria’s denial puts her multiple steps behind the viewer; Cervera’s strong debut sweeps you up in Valeria’s nightmare regardless.

Huesera made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. XYZ will release the film in theaters, with release date TBD.

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The festival’s 21st edition offers a hybrid experience of virtual and in-person, which includes a slew of genre premieres available to screen at home through individual tickets. That entails the New York premiere of Scott Derrickson‘s The Black Phone (review), repertory screenings of cult classics Basket Case, Ms. 45, and more.

Here are six genre titles we can’t wait to see at this year’s Tribeca fest.

Attachment (Natten Har Øjne) – Denmark

Feature Narrative, International Premiere. Maja and Leah’s new relationship is interrupted when mysterious things start happening in their London flat. It seems that Leah’s disapproving mother, who lives downstairs, is using Jewish folklore to come between them. In Danish and English with English subtitles. Directed and written by Gabriel Bier Gislason. Produced by Thomas Heinesen. With Josephine Park, Ellie Kendrick, Sofie Gråbøl, David Dencik. A Shudder release.

Family Dinner – Austria

Feature Narrative, World Premiere. Overweight and insecure, Simi spends Easter weekend with her famous nutritionist aunt. The hope is that it’ll help her get on a healthier track, but as the aunt’s family’s icy dynamics and an increasingly malevolent atmosphere leave Simi feeling uneasy, weight isn’t the only thing she’s about to lose. Directed and written by Peter Hengl. Produced by Lola Basara. With Pia Hierzegger, Nina Katlein, Michael Pink, Alexander Sladek. In German with English subtitles.

Huesera – Mexico

Feature Narrative, World Premiere. Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she’s pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something’s off. Nightmarish visions and an unshakeable paranoia have her questioning what she wants, and an ancient evil spirit may be the cause. Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera. Written by Michelle Garza Cervera, Abia Castillo. Produced by Paulina Villavicencio, Edher Campos. With Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández, Aída López, Martha Claudia Moreno. In Spanish with English subtitles. An XYZ release.

A Wounded Fawn – United States

Feature Narrative, World Premiere. It’s the perfect plan: A serial killer brings an unsuspecting new victim on a weekend getaway to add another body to his ever-growing count. She’s buying into his faux charms, and he’s eagerly lusting for blood. What could possibly go wrong? Directed by Travis Stevens. Written by Travis Stevens, Nathan Faudree. Produced by Joe Barbagallo, Laurence Gendron, Travis Stevens. With Josh Ruben, Sarah Lind, Malin Barr, Katie Kuang, Laksmi Hedemark, Tanya Everett, Marshall Taylor Thurman, Leandro Taub, Neal Mayer. A Shudder release.

Rounding – United States

Feature Narrative, North American Premiere. When a motivated resident doctor transfers to a rural hospital for a fresh start, his demons follow him as he becomes consumed with the case of a young asthma patient, in Alex Thompson’s psychological horror follow up to his highly acclaimed Saint Frances. Directed by Alex Thompson. Stars Namir Smallwood, Sidney Flanigan, Michael Potts, Max Lipchitz, David Cromer, Cheryl Lynn Bruce.

Next Exit – United States

World Premiere. In a world where ghosts are real and front-page news, a controversial new medical procedure allows people to peacefully kill themselves. In the midst of this breakthrough, two strangers travel cross country together to end their lives, only to unexpectedly find what they’ve been missing along the way. Directed and written by Mali Elfman. Produced by Derek Bishé, Narineh Hacopian. With Katie Parker, Rahul Kohli, Rose McIver, Karen Gillan, Tongayi Chirisa, Diva Zappa.

Stay tuned for Bloody Disgusting’s full Tribeca 2022 coverage!

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The festival’s 21st edition once again spotlights horror, including the New York premiere of Scott Derrickson‘s The Black Phone (review), repertory screenings of cult classics Basket Case, Ms. 45, and more.

Check out the 2021 features lineup below and be sure to grab your pass to this year’s festival!

MIDNIGHT: Always surprising and boundary-pushing, Tribeca Midnight is the destination for the best in horror and genre discoveries.

Attachment (Natten Har Øjne), (Denmark) – Feature Narrative, International Premiere. Maja and Leah’s new relationship is interrupted when mysterious things start happening in their London flat. It seems that Leah’s disapproving mother, who lives downstairs, is using Jewish folklore to come between them. In Danish and English with English subtitles. Directed and written by Gabriel Bier Gislason. Produced by Thomas Heinesen. With Josephine Park, Ellie Kendrick, Sofie Gråbøl, David Dencik. A Shudder release.

The Black Phone, (United States) – Feature Narrative, New York Premiere. Locked in a soundproof basement by a masked child killer, a teenage boy finds the possibility of hope through an unexpected and supernatural lifeline: a telephone on which he receives motivational calls from the killer’s past victims. Directed by Scott Derrickson. Written by Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill. Produced by Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill. A Universal Pictures release.

Family Dinner, (Austria) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. Overweight and insecure, Simi spends Easter weekend with her famous nutritionist aunt. The hope is that it’ll help her get on a healthier track, but as the aunt’s family’s icy dynamics and an increasingly malevolent atmosphere leave Simi feeling uneasy, weight isn’t the only thing she’s about to lose. Directed and written by Peter Hengl. Produced by Lola Basara. With Pia Hierzegger, Nina Katlein, Michael Pink, Alexander Sladek. In German with English subtitles.

Huesera, (Mexico) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she’s pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something’s off. Nightmarish visions and an unshakeable paranoia have her questioning what she wants, and an ancient evil spirit may be the cause. Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera. Written by Michelle Garza Cervera, Abia Castillo. Produced by Paulina Villavicencio, Edher Campos. With Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández, Aída López, Martha Claudia Moreno. In Spanish with English subtitles. An XYZ release.

A Wounded Fawn, (United States) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. It’s the perfect plan: A serial killer brings an unsuspecting new victim on a weekend getaway to add another body to his ever-growing count. She’s buying into his faux charms, and he’s eagerly lusting for blood. What could possibly go wrong? Directed by Travis Stevens. Written by Travis Stevens, Nathan Faudree. Produced by Joe Barbagallo, Laurence Gendron, Travis Stevens. With Josh Ruben, Sarah Lind, Malin Barr, Katie Kuang, Laksmi Hedemark, Tanya Everett, Marshall Taylor Thurman, Leandro Taub, Neal Mayer. Shudder.

U.S. NARRATIVE COMPETITION: Tribeca’s U.S. Narrative Competition showcases extraordinary world premieres that will vie for the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature, and the Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography,  and Best Performance.

Next Exit, (United States) – World Premiere. In a world where ghosts are real and front-page news, a controversial new medical procedure allows people to peacefully kill themselves. In the midst of this breakthrough, two strangers travel cross country together to end their lives, only to unexpectedly find what they’ve been missing along the way. Directed and written by Mali Elfman. Produced by Derek Bishé, Narineh Hacopian. With Katie Parker, Rahul Kohli, Rose McIver, Karen Gillan, Tongayi Chirisa, Diva Zappa.

VIEWPOINTS: Viewpoints, which includes narratives and documentaries, recognizes distinct voices in independent filmmaking by creating a home for bold directorial visions and embracing distinct characters and points of view.

Our Father, The Devil (Mon Père, le Diabe), (United States) – Feature Narrative, North American Premiere. Caretaker Marie finds her peaceful life in France upended by the arrival of a new priest who reminds her of her traumatic past. Directed and written by Ellie Foumbi. Produced by Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono. With Babetida Sadjo, Souleymane Sy Savané, Jennifer Tchiakpe, Franck Saurel, Martine Amisse. In French with English subtitles.

Tribeca Online Premieres: Enjoy the 2022 Festival from the comfort of your home.

Rounding, (United States) – Feature Narrative, North American Premiere. When a motivated resident doctor transfers to a rural hospital for a fresh start, his demons follow him as he becomes consumed with the case of a young asthma patient, in Alex Thompson’s psychological horror follow up to his highly acclaimed Saint Frances. Directed by Alex Thompson. Stars Namir Smallwood, Sidney Flanigan, Michael Potts, Max Lipchitz, David Cromer, Cheryl Lynn Bruce.

MIDNIGHT:  TRIBECXPLOITATION! Grindhouse IS Art House

Basket Case, (United States) – Feature Narrative, 1982. The debut gutter-trash symphony from Frank Henenlotter (Brain Damage, Frankenhooker), stealthily filmed in the toilet bowls of Times Square and chock-full of demented fury. Directed and written by Frank Henenlotter. Produced by Edgar Ievins. With Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Robert Vogel, Diana Browne, Lloyd Pace, Bill Freeman. Courtesy of Arrow Films and the American Genre Film Archive.

Ms .45, (United States) – Feature Narrative, 1981. Eerie and unforgettable, Ms. 45 is an essential snapshot of New York City in the early 1980s from Abel Ferrara (Driller Killer, The Addiction) — one of the greatest and most unique living filmmakers on the planet. Directed by Abel Ferrara. Written by Nicholas St. John. Produced by Richard Howorth, Mary Kane, Arthur Weisberg. With Zoë Lund, Bogey, Albert Sinkys. Courtesy of Drafthouse Films and the American Genre Film Archive.

Tenement, (United States) – Feature Narrative, 1985. The sordid story of a South Bronx apartment building ruled by a gang of crazed, junkie punks. Directed by Roberta Findlay. Written by Joel Bender, Rick Marx. Produced by Walter E. Sear. With Joe Linn, Enrique Sandino, Paul Calderon, Corrine Chateau.

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Sophie (Skyler Davenport) was once a highly successful and renowned skier, but blindness seems to have cut her career short. The dashed dreams and aspirations bred resentment in Sophie, but she’s determined to find her way in the world through stubborn independence. When Sophie takes on a cat-sitting job at a secluded mansion, she even hides her blindness from the owner. Then three thieves break in, not realizing anyone is home. Sophie’s only means of defense and evasion comes from a phone app that allows an army vet and gamer, Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy), to operate remotely as her eyes.

See for Me, directed by Randall Okita and written by Adam Yorke and Tommy Gushue, uses a familiar home invasion setup to toy with conventions via moral complexity. Sophie’s blindness naturally enhances the suspense, but that’s not the focal point. It’s her bitterness that plays the most significant role in how this night of terror unfolds. The cat sitter holds little patience for everyone and barely tolerates accepting help unless there’s no other choice. It creates an intriguing dynamic between Sophie and her main ally, Kelly, a stranger. Both establish themselves as intelligent and adaptable characters, but Sophie wears her emotions and flaws on her sleeves, complicating an already tricky situation tenfold. The way Sophie finds workarounds to the obstacles that emerge shifts the narrative in drastic, captivating ways.

Davenport, a visually impaired actor making their feature film debut, has a tough job of instilling and maintaining rooting interest. Sophie is a flawed lead protagonist that often lashes out or makes questionable choices. Sophie’s budding relationship with Kelly helps offset any frustrations, as it humanizes them both. Kennedy impresses with an assured yet remote performance, wholly removed from the rest of the cast.

Okita stages this home invasion thriller exceptionally well to maximize the thrills. The luxury lodge nestled in the woods, mid-winter, becomes a character in itself, with Okita using this space to maximize the suspense at every opportunity. Wide angles capture both Sophie and the thieves as they sneak around, one trying to find the other yet often unaware just how close either are to detection. Okita never ceases to find distinct angles or keep things visually interesting, even when the house’s layout seems to shrink in scope. The snowy setting and the disconcerting sound design contribute to the isolated atmosphere.

While See for Me does keep you guessing, it ultimately doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It’s a simple story that’s stunningly executed. The home invasion is a thrilling means for Sophie to work through her inner demons, of which she has many. It perhaps wraps up a bit too tidily, but Sophie’s flaws and the moral complications they create add distinct layers to this well-crafted and propulsive thriller.

See for Me is now available on VOD outlets.

Editor’s Note: This Tribeca review was originally published on June 10, 2021.

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Pete (co-writer Tom Stourton) just got back from volunteer work at a refugee camp and looks forward to spending his birthday weekend at a sprawling country estate by his friend George (Joshua McGuire). They’ll be joined by former college pals Fig (Georgina Campbell), party animal Archie (Graham Dickson), and Pete’s ex, Claire (Antonia Clarke). Pete’s girlfriend Sonia (Charly Clive) will arrive later to join them, giving Pete plenty of time to catch up with pals since losing touch years ago. Instead of arriving to a warm reception, however, Pete discovers an empty mansion. The reunion only grows increasingly absurd and uncomfortable from there, especially with the arrival of local Harry (Dustin Demri-Burns), who seems intent on replacing Pete. The more insecure and paranoid Pete grows, the more bizarre the weekend gets.

Every attempt to reconnect goes awry and builds tension. Pete’s attempts to revive old in-jokes or pick up where he left off are met with indifference at best and outright hostility at worst. Stourton displays remarkable nuance with his character; Pete’s impotent attempts to hoist himself into the center of attention induce audible groaning and sometimes full-bellied guffaws. There’s an exciting blend of affable charm and painful clumsiness to Pete that furthers the unique genre blend. It likely helps Stourton co-wrote the feature with Tom Palmer and understands this character like no other.

Gaynord also toys with audience sympathies, switching allegiances in varying scenarios. It’s easy to side with Pete’s friends when they rightfully call him out on poor behavior, but then the next minute, they’re taking their pranks and teasing too far; it’s to the point of malice. A layer of psychological suspense keeps the mood off-kilter; is it all in Pete’s insecure mind? Or do all of his friends actually loathe him? The more Harry invades the group, the more sinister the mood becomes. It creates sequences full of suspense and thrills, particularly a hunting scene.

Horror and comedy share similar rhythms and play remarkably well together. All My Friends Hate Me exemplifies this, seamlessly toggling between cringe-inducing humor and unsettling thrills. It captures the expectations and reality of awkward reunions, made even more authentic through its biting wit and angst toward classism and aging. Simple misunderstandings turn into ominous catastrophes as egos and vulnerability clash. Gaynord’s debut isn’t horror in the conventional sense. Still, his ability to push social anxieties well past its boundaries into terror territory makes for an unpredictable experience that thrills, chills, and delights in equal measure. It’s a straightforward narrative rendered far more complex thanks to its complicated lead and idiosyncratic tone.

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Forest ranger Finn Wheeler (Sam Richardson) embraces his new assignment in the cozy little town of Beaverfield, mainly because it offers the distance his girlfriend demanded of their relationship. The unflappably charming Finn barely settles into his temporary living arrangement at the Beaverfield Inn before he’s getting to know the colorful residents of the town through their vocal opinions on the new pipeline construction project that’s creating major division among them. Then he discovers that a brutal murderer is hiding among them, and a severe snowstorm traps them all together at the inn. Finn teams up with postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub) to attempt to keep the peace and find the culprit before it claims their lives.

Written by Mishna Wolff, Werewolves Within spends time introducing its cast of suspects, ensuring each has motivations and personality traits that make them viable candidates for murder. Outside the plucky central pairing of Finn and Cecily, the Beavefield denizens run the gamut of archetypes, from overbearing conservatives to rowdy ruffians to the snooty liberals. Look for obvious red herrings and shady politicians to boot, all played by actors with a reputation for comedy, including Cheyenne Jackson, Michaela Watkins, and Harvey Guillén. Wolff and Ruben poke fun of them all, putting their flaws front and center in the lineup of suspects.

If it’s not already clear, Ruben’s sophomore effort emphasizes comedy over horror. Many of the kills are off-screen, at least at first, to preserve the mystery. However, the filmmaker isn’t afraid to spill some blood where it counts. Because of the murder mystery format, Werewolves Within plays less like a conventional werewolf feature and more like a comedic Needful Things. Beaverfield residents can barely co-exist peacefully from the safety of their homes but put them together in a pressure cooker scenario, and mistrust breeds explosive chaos that threatens to outshine the werewolf in terms of violence.

Ruben gets to expand his scope here with a more extensive cast and multiple set pieces to play with, and it’s clear he’s having a blast. The social commentary can get a little clumsy and heavy-handed at times, at least until the mayhem kicks into high gear. The whodunit aspect sometimes veers into predictable territory, too. Still, Richardson’s performance as the endlessly charming Finn soothes most flaws, imbuing significant rooting interest. The macabre sense of humor is also winsome.

Expectations likely will play a key role in enjoyment. Werewolves Within is less interested in werewolves and more interested in exploring how the possibility of one hiding in plain sight can turn a town inside out. It does so by tilting the scale heavily in favor of comedy over scares. The final reveal is visually silly, but that’s also the point. It may not keep you warm all winter long, but Ruben’s latest plays like a joyous hug of a comedy-horror movie full of charisma, violent antics, and entertaining character-driven mystery.

Werewolves Within made its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and will release in theaters on June 25.

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Based on screenwriter Max Booth III’s 2020 novella, We Need to Do Something opens to a family of four seeking shelter from the raging storm and tornado warnings in their home’s bathroom. It doesn’t take a psychologist to pick up on the thinly veiled resentment between them, bubbling beneath the surface. Mom Diane (Vinessa Shaw) and dad Robert (Pat Healy) can barely stand to interact with each other, at least not without passive aggression. Teen Melissa (Sierra McCormick), true to her age, clings to her phone, hoping to resolve a pre-storm conflict. Then there’s the innocent of the bunch; youngest child Bobby (John James Cronin). The family turmoil erupts with the dawning realization that they’ve been trapped inside without food or a signal. More worrisome is that something seems to be lurking outside the walls, playing twisted games with them. Did the storm bring something otherworldly in, or is this some bizarre reckoning?

The movie opens and closes solely within the confines of this bathroom, save for brief flashbacks, meaning that the heavy lifting of telling this nihilistic domestic nightmare belongs to the actors and the viewer’s imagination. It’s a character-driven story that focuses on family conflicts and their inability to connect with the outside world. The outside world occasionally finds a way in, creating a new frightening scenario for the foursome to confront. The more precarious the situation becomes, along with a clear sense that something’s supernaturally amiss, the more unhinged the players grow. It’s not just the suspense and claustrophobia that coils tighter, but the mean-spiritedness laced with insidiously dark humor. O’Grady entrenches the viewer further with a fourth-wall-breaking gag that entails a Rick Astley tune as if to suggest this is one diabolical prank on the audience.

O’Grady delivers one magnificently executed scare that elicits instant chills and sears itself into your skull. Truly, it’s unforgettable and probably worth the price of admission alone. Bonus tip, read the end credits for a surprising credit reveal behind this memorable bone-chilling moment.

The downside is that those who favor some explanation or tidy conclusions will find themselves utterly perplexed. We Need to Do Something isn’t interested in offering any definitive answers, only suggesting mere possibilities. Nor does it seem to want its characters to do something; a line near the beginning serves to reason why this foursome doesn’t extend as much effort as you’d think in breaking free from their makeshift prison cell. But that, combined with other narratively convenient choices, stretches plausibility after a while.

This is a case where the parts are far greater than their sum. There’s not much meat on this story’s bones, and what it does have feels borrowed. Still, McCormick more than capably captivates and commands your attention, offering a layered performance against a streamlined concept. O’Grady’s debut is innovatively crafted and provides a grab bag of horror. From gross-out gags, bloodletting, and a thrilling level of unpredictability. Above all, We Need to Do Something fearlessly takes risks, unwilling to play it safe.  

We Need to Do Something made its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and is currently slated to release in theaters and PVOD on September 3, 2021.

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Glen (Vincent Kartheiser) gets a tire blowout that leads to a crash while driving home in the pouring rain. After getting out to assess the damage, he discovers a bed of nails planted in the middle of the road and a hotel food tray gently laid out on the side. Glen then finds a house near the site, where he’s welcomed inside by its friendly owner Arthur (Bob Stephenson) and his wife Cyndi (Chelsea Lopez). Glen, already disoriented by hitting his head in the crash, senses something deeply amiss about this situation. It culminates in a peculiar offer Glen can’t refuse. Then we meet Katie (Rainey Qualley), a young woman feeling gaslit by the high-profile man with whom she’s having an extra-marital affair. Elsewhere, Shannon (Breeda Wool) comes to suspect her experimental work at a research facility serves as a dangerous front.  

Schroeder creates an off-kilter tone meant to disorient from the opening scene. Everything about Glen’s encounter with the married couple feels straight out of a horror movie, right down to the way Arthur takes advantage of Glen’s concussed state to make him more pliable to his will. Yet subtle visual clues, like the food tray in the rain, signal that there’s a much larger picture at play. While the complete picture bides its sweet time in the unveiling, Schroeder intentionally builds a perplexing atmosphere to keep the viewer as confused as poor Glen.

Almost all of it serves a purpose. Subtle visual clues from the opening eventually receive a payoff, and the jarring transitions between plot threads converge with surprising revelations. Even then, Ultrasound refuses to hand-hold, keeping multiple steps ahead of the audience until the very end. The complexity and layer building is impressive. Perhaps most impressive is the way Schroeder makes you feel deeply entrenched in the chaos. A few details do emerge that are solely to flesh out characters, contributing nothing to the overarching narrative.

While Glen most closely represents the audience proxy as the prominent player trapped in the dark, Ultrasound is an ensemble piece. Each character is vital to this web of deceit and confusion. Stephenson toes the line perfectly between next-door neighbor charm and insidious manipulator. Wool’s character is integral to unpacking many of the questions, and her internal struggle with the morality of her work captivates. Wool offers the human element to ground the reality-bending sci-fi.

Ultrasound delivers a compelling mystery box through meticulous plotting, intentionally bewildering story shifts, and vibrant visual choices. But it’s a heady one that revels in subtlety, preferring to leave viewers in the dark for as long as possible. Even then, it’s abstract enough to leave you with lingering food for thought. That central question of what exactly is happening drives the entire film, however, which means you’re on its bizarre, cerebral wavelength or you’re not. If not, the methodical pacing might lose you along its winding path. But Ultrasound’s aesthetics and committed cast have a way of casting a hypnotic spell. 

Ultrasound had its World Premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.

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No Man of God frames its chamber piece around Ted Bundy’s final days but through the lens of a renowned FBI profiler.

No Man of God opens with brief text explaining the rise of criminal psychology and FBI profiling. At FBI headquarters, Behavioral Science Unit chief Robert Depue (Robert Patrick) reads off a list of incarcerated killers to his team. They eagerly claim each one on the list to interview and mine for psychological studies until Depue lists Ted Bundy (Luke Kirby). The mild-mannered Bill Hagmaier (Elijah Wood) takes it on. With a special knack for cracking even the most challenging cases, Bill begins building a complicated relationship with the serial killer for the sake of science. But Bill learns that getting intimately acquainted with evil blurs moral lines and takes a toll.

Director Amber Sealey crafts an intricate character study that centers around two powerful performances. Much of the narrative transpires within the confines of an interrogation room. Hagmaier opens himself up to Bundy as a means of building trust. In turn, Bundy cycles between guarded, playful, and acceptance, but always creepy. There’s nothing romanticized about this representation of Bundy; Kirby plays him like evil personified with only glimpses of humanity. As he barrels toward his execution date, he grows desperate to cling to life or find solace. Wood is perfectly cast here for Hagmaier’s unassuming nature that disarms one of the world’s most notorious killers. The entire feature hinges on their understated push and pulls and the internal emotional arcs and both leads are captivating.

Writer C. Robert Cargill (Sinister), as Kit Lesser, based the screenplay on real-life transcripts. Sealey weaves in actual footage from Bundy’s era and the crowds that amass to cheer on his death. It’s a sobering means to highlight how Bundy’s evil permeates and affects those around him. Hagmaier acts as the proxy, the pure man tainted by corruption for getting so close for so long. It’s not just how the leads convey that or how the script removes any sense of glamor from Bundy’s atrocities. It’s in the way Sealey stages it. In a late scene media interview, Bundy recounts with graphic detail his method of murder. It’s all off-screen, with Sealy instead focuses solely on the crestfallen face of an assistant who’s losing a piece of her innocence in real-time as she stares directly into the camera.

Everything about the production design and camera work adds to the emotional authenticity. It captures the dingy essence of the ’80s in a muted manner that allows the performances to take center stage. No Man of God draws from actual interview transcripts with the killer and incorporates real-life footage, but it’s the performances that set it apart. It may not offer any new insight to Bundy himself, but it’s not meant to. Instead, Sealey turns the tables by exploring whether it’s possible to empathize, as well as the human cost of understanding a monster. No new revelations about Bundy subsist here; he is every bit the remorseless monster you’d expect. But telling his final days from Hagmaier’s perspective offers a unique and refreshing angle.

No Man of God made its world premiere at Tribeca Festival and will release in theaters this August.

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Kelly Murtagh co-wrote the script with Bryce Parsons-Twesten and stars as Ivy, an aspiring singer that spends her nights in lounges and dive bars hoping to catapult it into significant success. By day, she works at a dry-cleaning service, earning meager paychecks and staying late to borrow attire for her evening gigs. Ivy doesn’t have much of a social life outside her two jobs, which means she spends most of her time alone with her insecurities and a debilitating eating disorder. The more control it assumes over her, the more it manifests in monstrous ways. Ivy will have to face her addiction head-on or risk becoming something she no longer recognizes.

Samantha Aldana makes her feature directorial debut here, delivering a confident and artistically rendered portrait of a woman’s downward spiral. However, it’s a slow, methodical descent. The hazy soft-lit glow of dark, seedy bars or sparsely populated lounges lends an almost dreamlike quality, a detached reality for Ivy that serves as an escape from her harsh reality controlled by her eating disorder. Like a silent, unseen stalker, her illness follows her everywhere, leaving her perpetually on edge and paranoid. Mundane tasks like grocery shopping or choosing a snack induce anxiety. Trying to keep her impulses at bay creates horrific repercussions, often through grotesque body dysmorphia run through a genre filter.

Shapeless primarily focuses on heightened drama, only dabbling with horror through its unsettling score, sound design, and moments of body horror. It’s a singular, interior view of a woman deep in the throes of addictive behaviors that’s growing increasingly detrimental to her physical and mental health. Aldana uses drama to ground Ivy’s journey in reality to ensure it maintains authenticity and emotional heft.

That means that it’s more of an experience than a traditional narrative, devoid of a conventional beginning, middle, and end. Murtagh and Aldana get up close and personal with the various ways Ivy’s battle affects her but eschew any tidy conclusion. It’s a logical and stylistic choice that matches the ongoing nature of combating eating disorders, but its gentle tapering is still jarring nonetheless. It likely doesn’t help that Murtagh is too effective in her role; Ivy’s identity is so intrinsically intertwined with her disorder from the outset, it’s more a matter of progression.

Aldana uses horror to cast a spotlight on the invasive, all-consuming nature of an eating disorder. Yet, she plays it too safe with the genre elements, preferring to let the drama raise the emotional stakes. Shapeless is visually engaging, and Murtagh keeps you invested, but it’s so hyper-focused on Ivy’s descent that everything else feels superfluous and superficial. It’s a relatively successful depiction of a woman slowly losing control against a disease, but it’s a languidly paced and straightforward battle without much depth.

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Directed by Rob Schroeder, the film stars “Mad Men” breakout Vincent Kartheiser, who after his car breaks down, spends one hell of an odd night with a married couple, setting into motion a chain of events that alter their lives plus those of several random strangers.

Bloody Disgusting scored a clip from the film that takes place after an accident, where Vincent’s character is offered not only a place to sleep but also someone to sleep next to. Everything in this cringey footage is nothing short of intense.

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That means that Tribeca is now more accessible than ever, with a slew of genre premieres available to screen at home through individual tickets.

Here are five horror titles we can’t wait to see.

Werewolves Within

Josh Ruben’s follow-up to Scare Me draws inspiration from Ubisoft’s VR game and unleashes a murder mystery “whatdunit.” Sam Richardson stars in this horror-comedy as a newly assigned forest ranger arriving at his new post just in time for a freak snowstorm to cause a blackout. The eclectic denizens barely get along as they take refuge at the lodge, but then paranoia sets in when the bodies start piling up, and a werewolf seems to be the culprit. A werewolf that could be any one of them, hiding in plain sight. Written by Mishna Wolff, Werewolves Within also stars Milana Vayntrub, Michaela Watkins, Cheyenne Jackson, Glenn Fleshler, and Harvey Guillén.

We Need to Do Something

Sean King O’Grady helms the adaptation of screenwriter Max Booth III’s novella, which sees a dysfunctional family of four encounter unspeakable horrors while trapped in their bathroom after a tornado devastates the area. Some of those horrors come from within as tensions mount. But something otherworldly seems to be lurking just outside, looking for a way inside. Sierra McCormick, Vinessa Shaw, Pat Healy star in this nihilistic Pandora’s box of terror.

False Positive

Ahead of its Hulu release, this A24 film debuts at Tribeca. As with most A24 genre efforts, expect things to get weird. Directed and co-written by John Lee, False Positive stars co-writer Ilana Glazer as Lucy, a woman who seems to have it all save for her struggles with fertility. Her husband (Justin Theroux) seeks help from a former mentor, world-renowned reproductive specialist Dr. Hindle (Pierce Brosnan). He transforms their hopes into happy success, but soon Lucy begins to notice cracks in normalcy and her suspicions untether her grip on reality. What may sound like a familiar pregnancy horror movie quickly gives way to something far more unique. False Positive also stars Gretchen Mol and Sophia Bush.

Ultrasound

Director Rob Schroeder helms a twisty sci-fi puzzle box based on the graphic novel Generous Bosom, written by cartoonist Conor Stechschulte. After his car breaks down, Glen spends one hell of an odd night with a married couple. It starts as a creepy backwoods horror movie then quickly switches gears and perspectives. Schroeder slowly weaves together the lives of several random strangers and how they seem to connect. This layered tale keeps you guessing throughout. Vincent Kartheiser, Chelsea Lopez, Breeda Wool, Tunde Adebimpe, Rainey Qualley, and Bob Stephenson star.

See for Me

When blind former skier Sophie (Skyler Davenport) cat-sits in a secluded mansion, three thieves invade for the hidden safe. Sophie’s only defense is army veteran Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy), who acts as her eyes through the See For Me phone app. Kelly helps Sophie defend herself against the invaders and survive. In his sophomore feature, Randall Okita weaves a morally complex home invasion thriller that subverts expectations. 

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Bloody Disgusting previously scored the first look at the film directed by Sean King O’Grady and starring Sierra McCormick (The Vast of Night), Vinessa Shaw (Hocus Pocus, Eyes Wide Shut, The Hills Have Eyes), Pat Healy (Cheap Thrills, Compliance, The Innkeepers), newcomer Lisette Alexis, and John James Cronin (“NOS4A2”).

In the film, “After Melissa (McCormick) and her family (Shaw, Healy, Cronin) seek shelter from a storm, they become trapped. With no sign of rescue, hours turn to days and Melissa comes to realize that she and her girlfriend Amy (Alexis) might have something to do with the horrors that threaten to tear her family – and the entire world, apart.”

Principal photography took place almost entirely on Atlas’ soundstage in Detroit during September and October, following a week of rehearsals with the entire cast, explained the previous press release. The challenges of filming during a pandemic were met with rigorous protocols by a small tight-knit cast and crew, who dedicated a month of their lives to create the bubble that enabled the film to be completed safely without any artistic compromise.

The film was written by Max Booth III, adapted from his novella of the same title, whose new novel Touch the Night was recently published by Cemetery Dance.

“Without directly addressing the nightmare we are currently living through, Max created a hellish allegory that still manages to capture the collective trauma we’re all experiencing,” said O’Grady.

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The festival’s 20th-anniversary ceremony is not only a celebration of art but a return to community as they are prepared to usher in live events.

Films slated to premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, but postponed due to COVID-19, will also screen at the festival. This includes Bloody Disgusting and Dark Star Pictures’ Honeydew.

Check out the 2021 features lineup below and be sure to grab your pass to this year’s festival!

MIDNIGHT: Always surprising and boundary-pushing, Tribeca Midnight is the destination for the best in horror and genre discoveries.

Shapeless, directed by Samantha Aldana, written by Kelly Murtagh, Bryce Parsons-Twesten. Produced by Lizzie Guitreau, R. Todd Campbell, William Ramsey, Brian C. Miller Richard. (United States) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. Out in public, Ivy is a New Orleans lounge singer trying to make a name for herself. When alone, though, she suffers from a terrifying eating disorder. And the more she hides her struggles, the stronger her inner demons become. With Kelly Murtagh, Bobby Gilchrist, Jamie Neumann, Marco Dapper, Erika Ashley, Gralen Bryant Banks.

Ultrasound, directed by Rob Schroeder, written by Conor Stechschulte. Produced by Rob Schroeder, Georg Kallert, Charlie Prince. (United States) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. After his car breaks down, Glen spends one hell of an odd night with a married couple, setting into motion a chain of events that alter their lives plus those of several random strangers. With Vincent Kartheiser, Chelsea Lopez, Breeda Wool, Tunde Adebimpe, Rainey Qualley, Bob Stephenson.

We Need To Do Something, directed by Sean King O’Grady, written by Max Booth III. Produced by Bill Stertz, Josh Malerman, Ryan Lewis, Peter Block. (United States) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. Trapped inside their bathroom for days after a tornado ravages their home, a family of four struggles to keep their composure. That’s nothing, however, compared to what’s coming for them beyond the bathroom’s walls. With Sierra McCormick, Vinessa Shaw, Pat Healy, Lisette Alexis, John James Cronin.

SPOTLIGHT NARRATIVE: Anticipated premieres from acclaimed filmmakers and performers are the focus of the Spotlight Narrative section which continues to be a launching pad for the most buzzworthy new films. This year’s Spotlight section will open with the world premiere of Pan Nalin’s The Last Film Show.

False Positive, directed by John Lee, written by John Lee, Ilana Glazer. Produced by John Lee, Ilana Glazer, Jonathan Wang. (United States) – World Premiere. After fertility struggles, a couple seem to have found their savior in a celebrated reproductive specialist. But as hope transforms to happiness, the now-expectant mother is thrown into a spiral of suspicion, threatening her grasp on reality. With Ilana Glazer, Justin Theroux, Gretchen Mol, Sophia Bush, Zainab Jah, and Pierce Brosnan. A Hulu release.

Werewolves Within, directed by Josh Ruben, written by Mishna Wolff. Produced by Jason Altman, Margaret Boykin, Andrew Lieberman, Natalie Metzger, Matt Miller, Benjamin Wiessner, Sam Richardson. (United States) – World Premiere. In Josh Ruben’s video game-inspired horror-comedy, a newly assigned forest ranger checks into a quaint Vermont inn just as a snowstorm cuts him and the eccentric townsfolk off from civilization. Yet frigid weather isn’t their biggest concern—that’d be the bloodthirsty creature picking them off one by one. With Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, Michaela Watkins, Cheyenne Jackson, Glenn Fleshler, Harvey Guillén. An IFC Films release

2020 FESTIVAL SELECTIONS: After having their planned Tribeca 2020 premieres canceled, the feature films of the 2020 Festival have been invited back for long-awaited in-person premieres in 2021. Participating titles include:

Honeydew tells the story of a young couple (played by Sawyer Spielberg and Malin Barr) who are forced to seek shelter in the home of an aging farmer (Barbara Kingsley) and her peculiar son, when they suddenly begin having strange cravings and hallucinations taking them down a rabbit hole of the bizarre.”

The acclaimed backwoods horror feature, written and directed by Devereux Milburn, boasts the acting debut of Sawyer Spielberg, son of director Steven Spielberg.

The film is now on VOD platforms everywhere.

My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To, Written and directed by Jonathan Cuartas, the festival horror-drama has been acquired by Dark Sky Films, and we’ve learned today that they’ll be releasing it in limited theaters and on VOD/Digital this summer, on June 25.

“Dwight (Patrick Fugit) prowls the streets after dark. He searches each night for the lonely and forlorn, looking for people who won’t be missed. Dwight takes no joy in this, but he needs their blood. Without fresh human blood, his fragile young brother Thomas cannot survive. Each death takes a larger toll, the burden of his crimes weighing heavier each time, threatening to crack his spirit. But Thomas (Owen Campbell) and his sister Jessie (Ingrid Sophie Schram) are all the family Dwight has left, and as a fiercely private and close-knit family unit, they depend on him and the rituals they’ve learned in order to keep their secret. But while Dwight yearns for another life, Jessie needs them to stay together. And always the boy must feed.”

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Bettis stars as Mandy, a wearied nurse at the start of her double shift overnight. She’s hoping to make it through without incident, but she happens to be a drug addict and a cog in a black-market organ trade scheme. When her simple-minded cousin Regina (Chloe Farnworth) messes up a kidney delivery, and heavily guarded convict Jefferson (David Arquette) is brought in for medical treatment, absolute chaos descends upon the Arkansas hospital. The cousins must race to secure a replacement before it’s too late.

A lot is going on in Grant’s screenplay. It’d be enough for Mandy to carry an entire story as a nurse struggling to maintain her duties while consistently procuring new drugs to snort throughout her shift. She’s also the one that strategically obtains the bodies to be harvested for their organs. Regina, however, complicates Mandy’s narrative at every possible turn, in her determination to avoid termination from her crime boss kin (Mick Foley). Regina also happens to be utterly unintelligent, turning a scheme into a slasher-like heist in her quest to find a new kidney. Mandy’s forced to play catch up as Regina leaves an organ-splattered trail across the hospital, continuously upping the ante to often frustrating levels.

Though this is hardly a one-woman show, Bettis admirably does her best to anchor a film that continually threatens to spiral out of control. She manages to engender sympathy despite being an intentionally unlikable character. Part of that is due to Mandy’s jaded intelligence, at least compared to those around her, but much of it is merely Bettis’s performance. It probably helps that she’s the only character at all that feels remotely fleshed out, which isn’t saying much.

Grant emphasizes dark comedy over character work, resulting in everyone making the worst decisions at every opportunity. Meaning, there’s a randomness to everyone’s behavior. Sometimes those moments feel inconsequential, existing solely for humor’s sake, like a background paramedic that breaks out into song amidst the disorder. Other choices feel detrimental to the flow; Regina’s painted as dumb with the broadest and clumsiest of brushstrokes. Her motivation for her homicidal warpath stems from a fear of dying, but it’s at odds with the bizarre pluckiness in which she dances her way through the chaos. It tends to give tonal whiplash, though it’s clear the intent is solely to elicit a laugh. Arquette’s character feels entirely shoehorned in, and without purpose, save for a third act gag.

Some of the jokes nail their landing, and Bettis’s performance is fantastic. It’s hard to imagine anyone else could give a broken character like Mandy a rooting interest like this. We shouldn’t cheer for Mandy to come out of this unscathed, but we do. Grant’s tossed way too many moving parts into the mix and struggles to keep them all going at once, however. Characters like Kit Williamson’s Officer Myers excel at selling the zany humor, and others serve no purpose whatsoever.

For those that like violent pitch-black comedies packed to the brim with characters misbehaving, and often with aimlessness, there’s enough here to make you chuckle. Mostly, though, 12 Hour Shift is far too ambitious for its own good, playing out like a blood-drenched yet unfocused comedy of frustrating errors.  

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Now, EW shares the film’s first teaser trailer for the horror-comedy that follows a group of nurses who are stealing organs and selling them on the black market.

“Nurse Mandy is just trying to make it through her double shift alive, but her nasty drug addiction, annoying coworkers, needy patients, and devious cousin are making it pretty tough, not to mention organ-stealing criminals and an injured convict.”

The footage shows a bloodied up Bettis as well as producer David Arquette (Scream) taunting someone with a knife.

Mick Foley, Chloe Farnworth, Kit Williamson, Tara Perry and Nikea Gamby-Turner also star. Producers include Christina Arquette, David, Arquette, Jordan Wayne Long, Tara Perry, and Matt Glass. Original Music composed by Matt Glass.

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The film was written and directed by Bertino. Check out some images below.

“On a secluded farm in a nondescript rural town, a man is slowly dying. His family gathers to mourn, and soon a darkness grows, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that something evil is taking over the family.”

The film stars Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., and Xander Berkeley.

Producers include Bryan Bertino, Adrienne Biddle, Sonny Mallhi and Kevin Matusow.

The post First Look at ‘The Strangers’ Director Bryan Bertino’s New Horror Film ‘The Dark and the Wicked’ [Images] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Come to Daddy stars Elijah Wood as Norval, a troubled thirty-something living at home with his mother. When he receives a letter from his long-estranged father requesting he travel out to visit at his remote waterside home, Norval doesn’t hesitate despite his father practically being a stranger to him. A recovering alcoholic with deep-seated issues, Norval is desperate to reconnect with dad. His expectations are immediately shattered, though, when he finds dad (Stephen McHattie) heavily reliant on booze and contemptuous at best. Norval’s desire for an emotional bond with dad turns into a waking nightmare.

Just when you think you have your fingers on the pulse of this thriller, Timpson pulls the rug out from under you. There’s no accurate way of predicting this narrative’s trajectory and what insanity is in store; this is a genre-bending poster child of a thrill ride. All of it is tied together by one peculiar, macabre sense of humor.

Wood and McHattie are tried and true performers, especially when it comes to more eccentric fare. Norval is a pretentious L.A. type, bragging to his dad about his famous friends and snazzy lifestyle, while quietly confessing to suicide attempts and addiction struggles. In other words, he’s a Bullshit Artist that would be a completely unlikable character in a lesser actor’s hands. Wood can play the douchey type with an earnestness that makes him endearing despite his flaws. The always charismatic McHattie plays Norval’s dad with a wild edge; he feels slightly dangerous and unhinged. Watching McHattie and Wood play off each other is magic.

Then there’s the stunning waterside setting. Despite all of the ugly within the narrative, this is one beautiful film. It’s not just due to the gorgeous location, but largely because of the cinematography by Daniel Katz (My Friend Dahmer, Funny). Come to Daddy is bold, crisp, and colorful; somewhat unusual in films of this ilk. It’s as arresting as the story and performances.

Timpson’s feature debut is impressive. It’s not easy to mash together so many genres into one film and have it work, but Timpson makes it seem effortless with his strong vision. The film’s pitch-black comedy, something that Harvard and Timpson do so well, is what pushes this over from fun thriller to insane crowd-pleaser. But for all of the absurd thrills, chills, and guffaws, there’s a poignancy beneath the surface that makes for a perfect counterbalance. Norval’s desire for acceptance and an emotional connection with family is affecting, and a through line that adds depth to one zany, unpredictable, and perpetually entertaining thriller that defies classification.

Editor’s Note: This Tribeca review was originally published in April 2019.

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The horror-comedy follows a man in his thirties (Elijah Wood) who travels to a remote cabin to reconnect with his estranged father.

Bloody Disgusting Meagan Navarro reviewed the film out of the World Premiere, writing that it’s an “insane crowd-pleaser” with “absurd thrills, chills, and guffaws.”

The film also stars Stephen McHattie (Watchmen, Mother!, Pontypool) and Martin Donovan (Ant-Man, “Big Little Lies”).

Toby Harvard penned the script based on an idea from Timpson. The film is produced by Mette-Marie Kongsved and Laura Tunstall for Nowhere, Daniel Bekerman for Scythia Films, Katie Holly for Blinder Films, Emma Slade for Firefly Films, and Toby Harvard. Tango Entertainment financed the Canadian, New Zealand, Irish co-production with support from the New Zealand Film Commission, Telefilm, Blinder Films and Egg Post Production.

The film will be slated for a theatrical release.

ALSO READ: How the Death of His Father Led Ant Timpson to Direct the Insane ‘Come to Daddy’ [Interview]

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Bliss stars Dora Madison as Dezzy, a talented Los Angeles based artist with a reputation for her dark artwork. Struggling for months to move past a serious creative block, Dezzy’s facing financial trouble and serious pressure from the art gallery to which her latest erstwhile masterpiece has been promised. When her agent drops her, Dezzy finds herself seeking solace from old friends and vices she once left behind in the seedy underbelly of the city. After a hallucinogenic drug binge on Bliss, Dezzy’s night of debauchery sends her on a downward spiral fueled by Bliss and an unquenchable hunger for blood.

Our intro to both this world and lead character Dezzy is a jarring one. “Fuck” is uttered just about every other word to ensure you know how tough as nails chain-smoking Dezzy can be, and how desperate. Her relationship with her boyfriend Clive (Jeremy Gardner) seems volatile, but she’s downright loving in the way she treats him compared to anyone else in her path – her landlord, her agent, etc. Her icy demeanor thaws completely, though, once she reconnects with her former drug dealer Hadrian, played by frequent Begos collaborator Graham Skipper (sporting epic mutton chops here). It marks a turning point, not just for her character, but in terms of finding a foothold for the audience to grab hold of while being whisked along Dezzy’s increasingly precarious journey.

Under the hazy glow of neon, Bliss becomes a collision course of gutter trash and artistic creativity. Begos has two effective weapons in his filmmaking arsenal that can be counted on in his work, which definitely applies here; his vision for practical effect driven gore and Josh Ethier’s talent for film editing. Dezzy’s vampiric transformation begins as a drug-addled psychotronic miasma that builds into one blood-soaked third act, giving ample room for both the viscera and editing to soar. Emphasis on viscera.

You’d be hard pressed to come up with a bloodier vampire film, and the deaths are brutal.

Madison’s performance is also a major strength. This is a one-character narrative; we’re with Dezzy from beginning to end while supporting characters come and go, so much of Bliss hinges on its lead’s portrayal. Luckily, Madison is the strongest performer yet in Begos’ roster of actors, and is able to carry the weight of the film on her shoulders. Though her abrasive entrance gives pause, with no assist by the oft cringy dialogue, Madison imbues Dezzy with the complexity of a struggling artist so thoroughly consumed by her work that everything else is kept at arm’s reach. There’s a thematic weight in that struggle, and the questions in poses, that show a maturity and growth in Begos as a filmmaker, as well.

Writer/director Joe Begos has left behind the New England setting of his previous films in favor of a gritty urban cityscape with its unsavory underside put front and center. The gleeful approach to violence and gore are still there in spades, as are the overt cinematic influences that shaped this story. But now Begos is asking thought-provoking questions through his art, in his no-holds-barred gratuitous way, that indicates a director growing much more comfortable and confident.

Bliss was first reviewed out of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.

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This is how Knives and Skin, the new feature from prolific short director Jennifer Reeder, opens. With both thematic and visual connections to Twin Peaks, it’s hard not to get a David Lynch vibe from the small town-with-secrets narrative. But outside of the surface similarities, Reeder’s film has significantly different preoccupations.

Knives and Skin principally follows the three girls who were in a rock band with Carolyn: cheerleader Laurel (Kayla Carter), fashionista Charlotte (Ireon Roach) and cash-strapped Joanna (Grace Smith), Andy’s sister. In a more conventional film, the three would be preoccupied with discovering clues to find their missing friend; in Reeder’s film (she also wrote the screenplay), however, Carolyn’s absence is barely a passing concern to anyone other than her choir teacher mother, Lisa (Marika Engelhardt).

The reality is that even as Carolyn lies in the woods throughout the film, life in Big River continues. Reeder is more interested in using the girl’s absence as an entry point into the lives of the girls and, by extension, their families, all of whom have their own secrets and vices. Laurel’s pregnant mother Renee (Kate Arrington) is a seemingly happy housewife, but the reality is that she’s having an affair with Joanna’s unemployed father Dan (Tim Hopper). Meanwhile, Joanna’s mother Lynn (Audrey Francis) is suffering from mental health problems that prevent her from working, forcing an enterprising Joanna to sell worn underwear and her mother’s prescription drugs.

In this way Carolyn’s absence isn’t so much unnoticed as it is not top of mind; each character is so busy working through their own issues that they have no time or energy to consider the lives of others. The exception is, of course, Lisa, who slowly deteriorates to the point that she begins wearing her daughter’s clothes, loses track of time and bakes her absent daughter a cake that melts all over the table. It’s the most ostentatious performance in the ensemble and Engelhardt is quite impressive.

The most notable element of Knives and Skin is not its narrative or its performances, however; it is its style. There is a dream-like quality to the film, with frequent slow-motion, atmospheric sequences infused with neon lighting. Reeder tends to eschew realism in favour of big, expressive sequences such as the all-girl choir practice filmed in slow motion pans that features the girls whispering to each other in hot pink subtitles. Or the melancholy performance of Naked Eyes’ “Promises, Promises” sung by the cast, including Carolyn’s corpse (Music plays a significant role in the film, with the cast covering other notable 80s singles by New Order, Modern English, Cyndi Lauper and The Go-Gos).

When the style, dialogue and quirkiness all connect, there’s an excitement to Knives and Skin. The film’s inclusion of women, queer and POC characters in lead roles without stooping to moral messages is also notable and worthy of celebration.

Unfortunately – and it is a big but – a great deal of the film’s positive elements are undone by the inclination to favour style at the expense of everything else, especially narrative. Knives and Skin includes multiple plot lines that are introduced and then unceremoniously dropped, most notably the horror-inspired opening sequence where Lisa is seen advancing on Carolyn’s room with a knife.

Too often there’s also a desperate desire to be edgy and hip, which is most evident in the dialogue and dark humour. There’s a strong evocation of Heathers in the bitchy way that the teen characters speak to each other, such as when Ivonne questions Laurel’s sex life by asking her: “If you’re not a cunty slut or a bitchy tease, then what are you?”

Some of this dark humour works, such as Renee’s refusal to remake Missing posters that contain a spelling mistake because she spent a lot of time on them. More often than not, however, it does not (see: Dan’s propensity to have sex with Renee while wearing clown make-up; the ridiculously nonsensical phrases the search party should use if they discover Carolyn’s body). The over/under with which the dialogue and comedy lands makes the film feel uneven and often undermines the characters likability to the point that nearly everyone becomes insufferable.

Audacious in its experimental nature, when Knives and Skin works, it’s wildly entertaining. Unfortunately the highs are too few and far between, and the film’s emphasis on style over narrative and character makes for a viewing experience that drags. Reeker’s ambition makes her one to watch; hopefully her next project will deliver the same stylistic energy with a more even narrative execution.

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While Come to Daddy delivers gleeful blood splatter and an onslaught of dark comedy, the film was birthed from the real-life loss of Timpson’s father.

“After my father died, his partner thought it’d be a good idea to bring the body back after embalmment to spend some time with the grieving family,” Timpson explains in this exclusive interview.

“I ended up living five or so days in his house with his corpse. I wore his clothes and talked to his body at night. It was very cathartic but also rather spooky at times.”

“During the day some weird things happened and then at night, I had some very vivid and unusual dreams. So time passes and as I’m still trying to process his death – an idea came to me that was personal enough to shake me out this self-imposed creative cocoon I was under and felt like something I could share with him.”

He later added: “They say you should make films for yourself first and foremost but with this one, I was making it for my father. That was the driving philosophy and that it would turn out to be a movie that we would’ve watched together back in the day.”

As personal and cathartic as Come to Daddy is to Ant, he also promises that it’s actually “a really fun and wild thriller.” He ain’t exaggerating. Here, he talks about balancing the chaos with the laughs.

“When I was much younger, I used to love the fuck-you nature of violence in films – stuff that thrived in its sheer anarchy and misanthropy – but as I got older, that stuff became rather boring to watch and the illicit thrills had diminished. So our adage, when it came to violence, was that less-is-more [and we] tried to adhere to that.

“Whatever small amount we had, I wanted to execute it well and make it work in context. But more importantly, maintain the tonal balance so it doesn’t feel like certain scenes are from another planet. So that’s why there’s always some dark humor undercutting the violence – even when it gets really violent – because we’ve established the film’s humor early on and it’s a natural extension of that.”

“I’m fascinated by scenes in films where they get it tonally wrong with violence – it tends to derail everything,” he adds. “You just can’t afford to fuck that stuff up. There’s a great book I read decades ago called Laughing / Screaming about the complex relationship between humor and horror – and so I went into this well prepared to not balls it up. Hopefully, audiences agree that we got it right.”

Rounding back to the death of his father, Ant speaks to the pressure of not only delivering on his directorial debut, but making his father proud.

“So coming back to your query about intimidation and nervousness, you could say I had more than a little ring rust and a healthy dose of self-doubt going into the production on this film. Pushing me was the impetus of my father dying and having the obvious realization that we get one shot at this thing called life and we better not leave any shit on the table. So yes, nervous but also completely thankful that I surrounded myself with talented folks and just grateful beyond all belief.  I felt enormous pressure to deliver something good, not just for my pops but also for the people who believed in the project.”

Here are the Tribeca screening times for Come to Daddy:

• Thursday, 4/25 @ 9:00pm – SVA Theater 2 Beatrice (World Premiere)
• Friday, 4/26 @ 8:45pm – Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-4
• Saturday, 4/27 @ 9:15pm – Village East Cinema-05
• Friday, 5/3 @ 9:45pm – Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-10

Come to Daddy, directed by Ant Timpson, written by Toby Harvard. Produced by Mette-Marie Kongsved, Laura Tunstall, Daniel Bekerman, Katie Holly, Emma Slade. (USA, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland) Starring: Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, Martin Donovan, Michael Smiley, Madeleine Sami, Simon Chin.

The post How the Death of His Father Led Ant Timpson to Direct the Insane ‘Come to Daddy’ [Interview] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Blood has a first look clip from the darkly comedic thriller, featuring Elijah Wood and Stephen McHattie, who tells one helluva fucked up story. Elijah plays Norval Greenwood, a privileged man-child who arrives at the beautiful and remote coastal cabin of his estranged father only to discover his dad’s shady past that is rushing to catch up with both of them.

Screenings:
Thursday, 4/25 @ 9:00pm – SVA Theater 2 Beatrice (World Premiere)
Friday, 4/26 @ 8:45pm – Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-4
Saturday, 4/27 @ 9:15pm – Village East Cinema-05
Friday, 5/3 @ 9:45pm – Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-10

The post ‘Come to Daddy’ Clip: Stephen McHattie Tells Elijah Wood a F**ked Up Story appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Ahead of the premiere comes this first clip in which two guys are hunting something down as they debate what an alien actually is. It’s the perfect kind of comedy wherein their conversation is serious but as an observer it’s hilarious. I can’t wait to see this!

In the film, “Dealing with a girlfriend suddenly leaving is tough enough. But for Hank, heartbreak couldn’t have come at a worse time. There’s also a monster trying to break through his front door every night.”

Starring are Brea Grant, Henry Zebrowski, Justin Benson, Ashley Song, and Nicola Masciotra.

The film was produced by David Lawson (The Endless, Spring). Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson also produced via their Rustic Films banner. Additional producers include Arvind Harinath of Kavya Films with Venu Kunnappilly executive producing.  Tiffany Boyleand Elsa Ramo are co-EPs.

In Garder’s 2013 indie The Battery, two former baseball players (Gardner and Adam Cronheim) are forced together by a zombie apocalypse and find their relationship becoming strained as they struggle to survive each day.

The post Two Dudes Hunt ‘Something Else’ in This Fun Clip [Tribeca] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

MIDNIGHT: Tribeca’s Midnight section provides a space for fans to discover new projects in genre filmmaking. Past films include Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio’s Cropsey (2008), Ti West’s The House of the Devil (2009), Panos Cosmatos’ Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010), and Mickey Keating Psychopaths (2017).

Bliss, directed and written by Joe Begos. Produced by Joe Begos, Josh Ethier, Graham Skipper, Caroline Metz, Lyle Kanouse, Audrey Wasilewski. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. In need of creative inspiration, a professionally stagnant and hard-partying Los Angeles artist recklessly indulges in a series of drug binges. As the narcotics fly out of control, so does her newfound and inexplicable, yet unquenchable, craving for blood. With Dora Madison, Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield, Jeremy Gardner, Graham Skipper, George Wendt.

Come to Daddy, directed by Ant Timpson, written by Toby Harvard. Produced by Mette-Marie Kongsved, Laura Tunstall, Daniel Bekerman, Katie Holly, Emma Slade. (USA, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. After receiving a cryptic letter from his estranged father, Norval travels to his dad’s oceanfront home for what he hopes will be a positive experience. If only he’d known the dark truth about his old man beforehand. With Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, Martin Donovan, Michael Smiley, Madeleine Sami, Simon Chin.

Knives and Skin, directed and written by Jennifer Reeder. Produced by Brian Hieggelke, Jan Hieggelke. (USA) – North American Premiere, Feature Narrative. In the rural midwestern town of Big River, the sudden disappearance of a teen girl drives the town’s small population into a surreal nightmare of fear, suspicion, and guilt. With Kate Arrington, Marika Engelhardt, Audrey Francis, Kayla Carter, Ireon Roach, and Grace Smith

Something Else, directed by Jeremy Gardner and Christian Stella, written by Jeremy Gardner. Produced by David Lawson Jr., Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Arvind Harinath. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. Dealing with a girlfriend suddenly leaving is tough enough. But for Hank, heartbreak couldn’t have come at a worse time. There’s also a monster trying to break through his front door every night. With Jeremy Gardner. Brea Grant, Henry Zebrowski, Justin Benson, Ashley Song, Nicola Masciotra.

You Don’t Nomi, directed and written by Jeffrey McHale. Produced by Jeffrey McHale, Ariana Garfinkel, Suzanne Zionts. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Released in 1995, Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls was met by critics and audiences with near universal derision. You Don’t Nomi traces the film’s redemptive journey from notorious flop to cult classic, and maybe even masterpiece. With Peaches Christ, Jeffery Conway, April Kidwell, Haley Mlotek, Adam Nayman, David Schmader.

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION: The New-York based Festival breaks its geographical boundaries with the International Narrative Competition, welcoming filmmakers from abroad to join a global platform for contemporary world cinema.

The Gasoline Thieves (Huachicolero), directed by Edgar Nito, written by Alfredo Mendoza, Edgar Nito. Produced by Victor Leycegui, Annick Mahnert, Joshua Sobel. (Mexico, Spain, UK, USA) – World Premiere. Propelled by a need for cash to impress a crush, 14-year-old Mexican farmhand Lalo finds himself dangerously in over his head after entering into the country’s underworld of illegal gasoline extraction. With Eduardo Banda, Pedro Joaquin, Regina Reynoso, Fernando Becerril, Pascacio López, Leonardo Alonso.

SPOTLIGHT NARRATIVE

Charlie Says, directed by Mary Harron, written by Guinevere Turner. Produced by Cindi Rice, Jeremy M. Rosen, John Frank Rosenblum. (USA) – North American Premiere. Charlie Says, directed by masterful filmmaker Mary Harron, tells the Charles Manson story through the fresh eyes of his most devoted followers: Leslie van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Susan Atkins. With Suki Waterhouse, Hannah Murray, Matt Smith, Annabeth Gish, Merritt Wever, Chace Crawford. An IFC Films release.

Only, directed and written by Takashi Doscher. Produced by Eyal Rimmon, Gabrielle Pickle. (USA) – World Premiere. After the onset of a mysterious plague that affects only females, Eva may be the only woman left on Earth. Longing for freedom after months of secret quarantine, she and her partner Will venture out into the unknown. With Freida Pinto, Leslie Odom Jr., Chandler Riggs, Jayson Warner Smith, Tia Hendricks.

MOVIES PLUS: A Tribeca tradition, Movies Plus offers audiences the unique opportunity to continue the experience of a film through buzzworthy conversations or performances after each special screening.

I Am Human, directed, written, and produced by Taryn Southern, Elena Gaby. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Advancements in neurotechnology are revolutionizing what it means to be human. Following three subjects who undergo brain interface treatment, I AM HUMAN examines the ethical quandaries in brain exploration and simulated cognitive evolution.

● After the Premiere Screening: a conversation with co-directors and producers Taryn Southern and Elena Gaby, neurotech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, neurosurgeon at Toronto Western Hospital Dr. Andres Lozano. Moderated by the CEO of Futurism Alex Klokus.

TRIBECA CRITICS’ WEEK

In Fabric, directed and written by Peter Strickland. Produced by Andy Starke. (UK) – New York Premiere, Feature Narrative. British auteur Peter Strickland follows The Duke of Burgundy with a dazzling sensory overload of genre film pastiche in a fresh package: the dreamlike saga of a cursed scarlet dress that passes through the lives of several characters. Once again, Strickland unites disorienting cinematic trickery with deadpan comedy to astonishing results. With Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hayley Squires, Leo Bill, Julian Barratt, Steve Oram, Gwendoline Christie. An A24 release.

The post The Horrors of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Undead and hating it, young flesh-eater Mina (Nadia Alexander) haunts the woods surrounding her childhood home. When she befriends a physically abused boy, she must figure out why, for once, she isn’t feeling homicidal.”

The first clip introduces us to Mina, who tells the boy a story about the legend of a flesh-eater who roams the woods. It’s a self-reflective moment that sets the stage for an unlikely friendship. The other shows an old man being spooked by something he sees…

Toby Nichols and Karl Markovics also star.

The post ‘The Dark’ Poster Hides In the Woods; Clip Gets Spooked appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

You Shall Not Sleep stars Eva De Dominici as a promising actress named Bianca who’s selected to compete for the starring role in an experimental new stage play. Placed in an abandoned mental institution, Bianca and the other actors must prepare for their roles by staying awake for an unprecedented amount of time, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. With sleep deprivation taking its toll on her psyche, Bianca begins to suspect that there may be more to this sinister production than meets the eye.

Though the film actually takes place in the 80s, the period setting doesn’t add much to the story other than some superficial set dressing and fashion cues. Nevertheless, the foreboding atmosphere and genuinely chilling narrative make this an engaging mystery that rewards patient viewers, though it’s not without its flaws.

Unfortunately, the experience is somewhat marred down by some clumsy creative decisions (like a handful of lazy jump scares) and a script that needed further polishing. While the narrative mostly works, the second half of the film gets a little convoluted, but it never quite becomes too confusing to be entertaining. Hernández’s creative direction is partly responsible for this, as the film distracts the viewer from most of its narrative flaws with a plethora of compelling characters and memorable visuals.

Speaking of visuals, the cinematography is definitely one of the film’s strongest assets, providing a haunting backdrop for these characters to act and interact while still embracing the movie’s scares. The clever, if somewhat subdued, use of color also stands out even in the film’s darker moments, despite the forsaken setting.

The lead performances are also spectacular, with Dominici remaining a likable main character throughout the film, even avoiding some common horror protagonist pitfalls. However, Belén Rueda steals the show as the manipulative Alma Böhm, who’s organizing the mysterious play and preparing the actors for what’s to come. Ultimately, the competent cast also helps to make up for the flawed script, selling the illusion so earnestly that you can’t help but ignore many of the plot’s inconsistencies.

You Shall Not Sleep may not be a perfect horror experience, but it’s still definitely worth a watch. Hernández manages to weave a compelling tapestry with the film’s central mystery without losing sight of the human element that grounds the story, overcoming nearly all of its flaws. If you’re up for an atmospheric mix of psychological terror, supernatural thrills and the dramatic arts, this should undoubtedly be on your radar.

You Shall Not Sleep screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The post [Tribeca Review] ‘You Shall Not Sleep’ Overcomes Its Flaws with Atmospheric Thrills appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In The Night Eats the World, Sam wakes one morning to find himself living in a nightmare: an army of zombies have invaded the streets of Paris and he the lone survivor. While contemplating his bleak future and how to survive, he learns he may not be alone after all.

Director Dominique Rocher shot the film in both French and English language during production; Blue Fox will be giving the English version its World Premiere via a theatrical release this coming summer; Tribeca is screening the French version with English subtitles.

Director Dominique Rocher also co-wrote the screenplay with Jérémie Guez and Guillaume Lemans, which is an adaptation of French author Pit Agarmen’s novel La Nuit a Dévoré le Monde. The film stars the great Norwegian actor Anders Danielsen Lie, with strong supporting performances from Dennis Lavant and Golshifteh Farahani.

“Dominique Rocher delivers a new take on the survival genre, he is a director to watch closely,” said producer Carole Scotta.

The post Blue Fox Acquires Paris-based Zombie Horror ‘The Night Eats the World’ Ahead of Tribeca! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Here’s the official synopsis:

“Braid follows Petula Thames (Imogen Waterhouse) and Tilda Darlings (Sarah Hay), two self-proclaimed artists turned dealers on the run. After mishandling thousands of dollars in narcotics, the girls are given forty-eight hours to repay their vengeful drug lord. Fleeing town, they head to the desolate mansion of wealthy childhood friend, Daphne Peters (Madeline Brewer), with their sights set on house’s safe. Daphne, living secluded in the manor, has grown into a dangerous schizophrenic and prisoner of the fantasy world the three created as children. To abscond with her money, the girls are forced to take part in Daphne’s twisted, bloody game of make-believe, a demented maze of hallucinations, role play, torture…and murder.”

Directed by award-winning screenwriter, director, model, and painter, Mitzi Peirone, who was the youngest filmmaker selected for the 2013 Dogfish Accelerator program. Mitzi’s first directorial effort premiered at Art Basel 2015 and won Indiewire Project of the Week (Braid concept teaser). “Through her work, Peirone strives to depict reality as an infinite extension of the human consciousness,” explains the Tribeca site.

The post ‘Braid’ Clip Serves Up Some Role Playing [Tribeca] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bloody Disgusting has the bloody first images from the film, which is directed by award-winning screenwriter, director, model, and painter, Mitzi Peirone, who was the youngest filmmaker selected for the 2013 Dogfish Accelerator program. Mitzi’s first directorial effort premiered at Art Basel 2015 and won Indiewire Project of the Week (Braid concept teaser). “Through her work, Peirone strives to depict reality as an infinite extension of the human consciousness,” explains the Tribeca site.

Here’s the official synopsis:

“Braid follows Petula Thames (Imogen Waterhouse) and Tilda Darlings (Sarah Hay), two self-proclaimed artists turned dealers on the run. After mishandling thousands of dollars in narcotics, the girls are given forty-eight hours to repay their vengeful drug lord. Fleeing town, they head to the desolate mansion of wealthy childhood friend, Daphne Peters (Madeline Brewer), with their sights set on house’s safe. Daphne, living secluded in the manor, has grown into a dangerous schizophrenic and prisoner of the fantasy world the three created as children. To abscond with her money, the girls are forced to take part in Daphne’s twisted, bloody game of make-believe, a demented maze of hallucinations, role play, torture…and murder.”

The post ‘Braid’ Goes Crazy and Gets Bloody at Tribeca appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Starring the ever-charismatic Martin Freeman, Cargo tells the story of an unfortunate father tasked with keeping his young daughter safe in the post-apocalyptic Australian wilds after his wife succumbs to a zombie virus, biting him in the process. Driven only by his love for his daughter, Andy must journey through the wasteland in the hopes of securing a better future for his child before he inevitably joins the ranks of the undead.

Like the original short, this is an extremely versatile premise, allowing for hard-hitting dramatic moments as well as traditional zombie thrills without losing sight of the underlying human element. However, those familiar with the source material will likely become frustrated with some of the new additions to the story (especially a few unnecessary characters), which can at times make the experience downright boring.

Luckily, Freeman brings a lot to the table with his compelling portrayal of Andy, turning him into more than just a tragic father figure, and becoming a fully realized character that’s easy to root for. The accompanying cast also does a decent job, but the script obviously favors Andy’s development, with some minor characters feeling like an afterthought. That being said, the most important character here might actually be Cargo’s interpretation of the Australian countryside itself.

Despite what couldn’t have been a very large budget, the scenic locations and cinematography enhance the scope of the film, making up for a few moments of questionable production value. The blistering heat and desert-like landscape really help sell Andy’s desperation to a point that, had it been set anywhere else, the film would have been way less interesting. This is why, at least visually, Cargo is more than worth the price of admission if you can stomach a few instances of fake-looking zombie make up and gore effects.

It’s unfortunate that the script isn’t as polished as the visuals, with the film feeling more like an artificially extended version of the short rather than a proper feature. Even with the movie’s relatively brief runtime, several scenes feel like unnecessarily-long filler, and many of the sub-plots aren’t given the same attention as the rest of the story.

Ultimately, Cargo isn’t quite the same emotional roller-coaster as its predecessor, but it’s still a satisfying experience. The use of Aboriginal folklore added an interesting new element to the story, and the main narrative’s conclusion still packs a punch, even if it’s less impactful this time around. While there are certainly better zombie flicks out there, Cargo is still worth a watch.

Cargo will be available on Netflix on May 18th!

The post [Tribeca Review] ‘Cargo’ Is An Uneven Emotional Roller Coaster appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The three new episodes of this true crime phenomenon will launch alongside the original series, which arrived back in 2004.

It is produced by Matthieu Belghiti and produced and directed by Academy Award winner Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. The next chapter of “The Staircase” will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival before arriving on the streaming service this summer.

Netflix Original Documentaries first continues with Evil Genius, premiering May 11.

The post NSFW Trailer for Netflix’s Docuseries “True Crime” Falls Down the Stairs appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Undead and hating it, young flesh-eater Mina (Nadia Alexander) haunts the woods surrounding her childhood home. When she befriends a physically abused boy, she must figure out why, for once, she isn’t feeling homicidal.”

The clip introduces us to Mina, who tells the boy a story about the legend of a flesh-eater who roams the woods. It’s a self-reflective moment that sets the stage for an unlikely friendship.

Toby Nichols and Karl Markovics also star.

TRIBECA SCREENINGS
Saturday, April 21 at 7:45pm at Cinepolis Chelsea (260 West 23rd Street, between 7th & 8th Avenue) (WORLD PREMIERE)
Sunday, April 22 at 1:45pm at Cinepolis Chelsea (260 West 23rd Street, between 7th & 8th Avenue) **P&I Screening**
Sunday, April 22 at 9:15pm at Cinepolis Chelsea (260 West 23rd Street, between 7th & 8th Avenue)
Monday, April 23 at 8:45pm at Regal Battery Park Stadium 11 (102 North End Ave)
Tuesday, April 24 at 9;15pm at Cinepolis Chelsea (260 West 23rd Street, between 7th & 8th Avenue)
Sunday, April 29 at 9:30am at Cinepolis Chelsea (260 West 23rd Street, between 7th & 8th Avenue)

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