Exclusives
[Los Angeles] “The Tension Experience” Gets All Hyped Up in This New Trailer
Now that the cat is out of the bag, Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II-IV, Repo!, Abattoir) is presenting “The Tension Experience: Ascension“, a 24-room, 45,000-square-foot interactive “immersive theater” performance in Los Angeles where participants (that means you) are thrown into a harrowing journey that lasts anywhere from two to three hours.
Now open to the public, Bloody Disgusting has an exclusive new “hype” trailer that shows all of the major press who attended and loved the event.
As previously reported, the basic concept is that you enter a reception area and are asked to fill out paperwork where you will “join a cult”, which labels itself the O.O.A. Institute. If you think you’ll figure out what that stands for, think again. From there, everything collapses into an experience that is meant to haunt and shake you to your very core.
But what sets this apart from other immersive theater options in the Los Angeles area? In a recent article, Bousman explained that each guest gets a unique experience that is tailored to their own fears.
“Let’s say I know you’re scared of being alone and abandoned. You would begin to be contacted by a character who would talk about her being alone and abandoned. They make personal connections with people based on the answers [you] were giving us,” he tells LA Times.
Furthermore, Bousman recognizes that traditional mazes and similar events can lose their effectiveness simply because too many people are doing it at once. “I don’t want to herd people though like cattle. Every year I go to Universal Studios Horror Nights — those aren’t scary to me because I can see two people in front of me being scared. It doesn’t feel individual to me. I did not want that here. I want it to feel that it’s for you, that you walked into your own film and you are the lead actor.”
Guests should be warned that the show contains nudity and participants are required to sign a liability waiver. Furthermore, you will be forced, “…to be active…to be present,” Bousman states.
Clint Sears is the co-writer with “Tension” being produced by Gordon Bijelonic.
More information can be found at the official website. Glory be ascension.
The next shark attack horror movie swimming our way this Summer is The Bay from Brainstorm Media, and Bloody Disgusting is exclusively debuting the official trailer today.
Francesca Eastwood (M.F.A., Clawfoot) stars in The Bay, which will notably feature an animatronic shark that’s been created by SFX and animatronics company Bischoff’s.
In writer/director Phil Volken’s The Bay, “When their tour boat sinks in a shark sanctuary, two best friends must fight for survival to escape the shark-infested waters.”
The film will be opening in theaters and on demand on July 17, 2026.
Watch the official trailer for The Bay down below.
Alexander Wraith, Dani Oliveros, and Ta’imua also star.
Phil Volken said in a statement, “I’ve made several films set on the open sea, and The Bay is the culmination of my experiences to date – with my crack team of regular collaborators, the movie is finely and expertly honed to maximize the combined fears of the ocean, the unknown, sharks and ultimately, just how cold-blooded nature can be – specifically human nature.”
“I’m delighted with the scale and performances we’ve delivered onscreen,” Volken continues. “The Bay’s going to completely immerse and terrify audiences worldwide!”
Phil Volken has indeed carved out a niche directing open sea-based movies over the years, including the thriller Extortion back in 2017 and the horror movie Dead Sea just last year.
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