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We are in desperate need for a new era of erotic thrillers and let’s hope Mercedes Bryce Morgan’s new film Bone Lake helps usher in that new era. Written by Joshua Friedlander, the new thriller promise seductive, thrills, and even a little bit of comedy. Ahead of the film’s release, we have an exclusive first look at its official poster!

But first, read the full synopsis below:

A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In this darkly hilarious and seductive horror story, a dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.

Now, check out the official poster!

Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Alex Roe, Andra Nechita, Eliane Reis and Clayton Spencer star in the new erotic thriller.

Exclusive: Signature Entertainment has acquired UK and Irish rights to horror-thriller Bone Lake from Mister Smith Entertainment.

The film will receive its UK premiere at FrightFest in London this August. Bleecker Street will release domestically later this year.

The feature is directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Fixation) from a script by Joshua Friedlander. It stars Maddie Hasson (Malignant), Alex Roe (The 5th Wave), Marco Pigossi (High Tide) and Andra Nechita (The Sex Lives of College Girls).

Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, and Jacob Yakob produce for Ld Entertainment, along with Joshua Friedlander and Jason Blumenfeld. Executive producers include Mehrdod Heydari and Joseph Yakob for Ld Entertainment, as well as Alex Roe.

Bone Lake follows a couple’s romantic secluded lakeside vacation that goes awry when they are forced to share a mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. Their dream getaway descends into sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to...

You better have a safe word. Erotic horror thriller Bone Lake arrives in theaters this Halloween season, and the new poster reveals what happens when you don’t have a safe word.

Spoiler alert: you might want to gird your loins.

Bone Lake releases in theaters nationwide on October 24, 2025.

In the film, “A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In this darkly hilarious and seductive horror story, a dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.”

Marco Pigossi (“Gen V”), Maddie Hasson (Malignant), Alex Roe (Rings), Andra Nechita (“Fatal Attraction”), Eliane Reis, and Clayton Spencer star. Nick Matthews (Saw X) serves as director of photography.

Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Spoonful of Sugar) directs from a screenplay...

The 26th year serves up some delicious treats

James Demonaco’S The Home And Kurtis David Harder’S Influencers To Open And Close 26Th Edition.

Be prepared for the weird, the wild and the wonderful as FrightFest 2025, the UK’s No.1 horror & fantasy film festival, returns to The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square for its annual five-day extravaganza, taking over seven screens, including the two at the Odeon Luxe West End.

Running from Thursday August 21 – Monday 25 August, FrightFest will showcase sixty-nine features from across the world, embracing twenty-five main screen premieres and forty-four Discovery Screen titles, including the popular ‘First Blood’ strand, the latest genre documentaries, and a 4K restoration retrospective of one of the most game-changing British shockers ever. Plus, there’s the regular short-film strand, now extended to four showcases - to be announced later. This year there are nineteen world premieres, with fourteen countries represented, spanning four continents.

FrightFest, the number one horror and fantasy film festival in the UK, is back this year for its annual five-day extravaganza. Running from August 21 to August 25, 2025, FrightFest will showcase 69 features from across the world, including 19 world premieres from 14 countries and four short film showcase. This year, the festival returns to The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square and Odeon Luxe West End, taking over seven screens total for horror and genre filmmaking galore.

Festival co-director Alan Jones said, “FrightFest in its 26th year remains the UK’s Number One destination for genre fans. The 2025 event will be epic in every sense, celebrating the inventive, transgressive and diverse. So, join us for an event that has consistently remained in the Top Ten of The World’s Best Fantasy Festivals list”.

The Home

The festival opens with the UK premiere of The Home from director James DeMonaco, creator of The Purge franchise. It’s...

Exclusive: UK genre festival FrightFest has revealed its 2025 lineup with the event opening with Pete Davidson horror The Home.

The event, which runs between August 21–25 at The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square for its annual five-day extravaganza, will showcase sixty-nine features, including nineteen world premieres.

From director James DeMonaco, creator of The Purge franchise, actor-comedian Davidson plays Max in The Home, a rebellious twenty-something sentenced to community service at a quiet retirement home. Roadside/Lionsgate is releasing in the U.S. later this month.

The festival will close with Kurtis David Harder’s Influencers, which is being distributed by Shudder in the U.S. Set in southern France, it sees a young woman’s fascination with murder and identity theft send her life into a whirlwind of chaos.

Among the lineup, returning filmmakers include Erik Bloomquist who will be on hand with his latest chiller, Self-Help; Simon Rumley returns with Crushed...

"To a new friendship!" "Cheers!" Bleecker Street has revealed the first look teaser trailer for a horror thriller dark comedy called Bone Lake, arriving to watch starting in October in theaters. This originally premiered at Fantastic Fest last year, but didn't show up at too many other fests since then. When two young couples are mistakenly double-booked into the same vacation rental, their romantic weekend becomes a twisted maze of sex, lies, and survival. It's directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan as her latest horror feature following Spoonful of Sugar and Fixation. Starring Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Alex Roe, Andra Nechita, Eliane Reis, and Clayton Spencer. Lots of fun critics' quotes packed into this teaser trailer, describing it as "steamy and twisted", and "an absolute blast from start to finish." This isn't the first film about a double booked vacation rental, but it does seem like it goes down its own...

Watch the Trailer for Bone Lake: "A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In this darkly hilarious and seductive horror story, a dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.

Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan Starring Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Alex Roe, Andra Nechita, Eliane Reis and Clayton Spencer Written by Joshua Friedlander Produced by Jason Blumenfeld, Joshua Friedlander, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, Jacob Yakob Release Date October 24, 2025



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Watch the Trailer for Bone Lake: "Detectives are thrust into a chilling hunt for “Mr. Shiny”—a sadistic serial killer from the past whose return marks the beginning of a new wave of grotesque, otherworldly crimes tied to a dark cosmic force."

Directed & Written...

Airbnb seems to be the new go-to scary location for Gen Z horror films. After all, a double-booked Airbnb was used to great effect in Zach Cregger’s Barbarian, and now it’s the setting of what’s being called an “erotic horror thriller” called Bone Lake, which is directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Shudder’s Spoonful of Sugar). Bleeker Street, which is putting the movie out theatrically, just debuted a red-band teaser trailer that sets the stage nicely for what should be a fun horror flick with loads of skin once it hits theatres on October 24th.

Bone Lake made its debut at Fantastic Fest last fall and was extremely well-reviewed. It currently sports a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Here’s the synopsis:

A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In...

If movies like Barbarian didn’t already have you living in fear that you’d accidentally book a rental unit for the same weekend as another person or group, the debut trailer for Bone Lake should do the trick. It’s a champagne problem kind of worst fear for the two couples at the center of the movie, who have each zipped off to their respective glamorous getaways only to discover that the mansion has been double-booked. Helmed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Spoonful of Sugar), the twisted tale is one overflowing with sexual tension, filled with lies and deceit, and featuring good-looking people behaving badly. With a leading ensemble that features Maddie Hasson (Elevation), Marco Pigossi (Gen V), Alex Roe (The Fugitives), and Andra Nechita (Cats Dancing on Jupiter), the trailer previews the chaotic trip that lies ahead for audiences when the movie arrives in cinemas later this year.

Setting the scene,...

Bleecker Street is unleashing erotic horror thriller Bone Lake in theaters this Halloween season, and the brand new trailer promises sex and violence ahead.

Bone Lake releases in theaters nationwide on October 24, 2025.

In the film, “A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In this darkly hilarious and seductive horror story, a dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.”

Watch the new trailer below, which features The Exploited’s “Sex and Violence” as a weekend getaway descends into sexual madness.

Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Spoonful of Sugar) directs from a screenplay by Joshua Friedlander (Holly Slept Over). Jason Blumenfeld, Joshua Friedlander, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, and Jacob Yakob produce.

Marco Pigossi (“Gen V”), Maddie Hasson (Malignant...

Bleecker Street has acquired the US rights to Bone Lake, setting an October 10 theatrical release date.

The darkly comedic, erotic survival thriller is directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Spoonful of Sugar) and written by Joshua Friedlander (Holly Slept Over).

A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they’re forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. A dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.

Marco Pigossi (“Gen V”), Maddie Hasson (Malignant), Alex Roe (Rings), and Andra Nechita (Bad Teacher) star.

Ld Entertainment produces. Nick Matthews (Saw X) serves as director of photography.

Trace Thurman wrote in his review out of Fantastic Fest, “Bone Lake emerges as one of the biggest surprises of Fantastic Fest, operating as an incredibly entertaining thriller that doesn’t skimp...

Bleecker Street has made its latest foray into genre, partnering with long-time collaborator Ld Entertainment to acquire US rights to Mercedes Bryce Morgan’s survival thriller and Fantastic Fest in 2024 selection Bone Lake. Mister Smith has come on board to handle international sales starting in Cannes.

Marco Pigossi, Maddie Hasson, Alex Roe, and Andra Nechita star in the story about a couple’s romantic secluded lakeside vacation that goes awry when they are forced to share a mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. Their dream getaway descends into sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.

Bleecker Street has nabbed U.S. rights to “Bone Lake,” a darkly comedic survival thriller from director Mercedes Bryce Morgan.

The film, which premiered at Fantastic Fest in 2024, will land in theaters on Oct. 10. Mister Smith, a British distribution company, has come on board to represent the international rights, which will launch at Cannes Film Festival.

“Bone Lake” follows a couple whose romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they’re forced to share the mansion with another mysterious couple. Their dream getaway spirals into a “nightmarish maze of sex, lies and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival,” according to the official logline. Marco Pigossi, Maddie Hasson, Alex Roe and Andra Nechita star in the film.

Producers include by Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon and Jacob Yakob for Ld Entertainment, along with Joshua Friedlander and Jason Blumenfeld. Executive producers are Mehrdod Heydari...

Bleecker Street and frequent partner Ld Entertainment have picked up U.S. rights to Bone Lake, a critically acclaimed survival thriller from filmmaker Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Fixation), which is coming off its premiere at Fantastic Fest with a 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film will be released in theaters nationwide on October 10th. Mister Snith has come on board to rep international rights, beginning at Cannes, following its work with Ld on Directors’ Fortnight title Dangerous Animals.

Bone Lake finds a couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. A dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.

Marco Pigossi (Gen V), Maddie Hasson (Elevation), Alex Roe (The 5th Wave), and Andra Nechita (Matlock) star.

The film...

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival has unveiled its audience and jury award honorees for its 2024 edition, which ran from Oct. 17-24 at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations.

Taking home the best film and best ensemble awards from the Dark Matter Jury was “Dead Talents Society” from writer-director John Hsu. The comedy horror, starring Bo-lin Chen, Sandrine Pinna and Gingle Wang, follows a ghost who joins a supernatural talent agency in hopes of becoming an urban legend.

Emma Benestan won best director from the Head Trip Jury, which honors films that deviate from the typical horror formula. Her film, “Animale,” follows a young bullfighter who begins noticing disturbing changes after a violent incident in the ring. Cast members include Oulaya Amamra, Damien Rebattel and Vivien Rodriguez.

For the Shorts Jury, Grace Rex’s script for “The Shadow Wrangler” took home best screenplay. Following an audiobook narrator tortured by...

Writer-director Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Fixation) returned to Fantastic Fest this year with her third feature film, Bone Lake. The horror-comedy reunites Morgan with actress Maddie Hasson (Malignant) for an exploration of the lighter side of the genre than their previous collaboration, Fixation, and co-stars Alex Roe (Siren), Andra Nechita (Fatal Attraction), and Marco Pigossi (Gen V). To celebrate their World Premiere at the festival, Nechita and Pigossi joined their director in Austin, Texas, where our own Perri Nemiroff was able to chat with them about what audiences can expect from Bone Lake.

Mercedes Bryce Morgan is honing her skillset as a psychosexual horror filmmaker, first with Shudder’s Spoonful of Sugar, and now with the festival title Bone Lake. Her second collaboration with actress Maddie Hasson follows in the footsteps of rental thrillers like The Rental or Superhost, except with a horned-up twist. Fidelity and fairy tales are tested in a game of sensual wits as writer Joshua Friedlander explores what would happen if Cupid scripted Speak No Evil. An awkward social scenario requires some suspended belief upon arrival, but as players begin breaking normalized behavioral rules, Bone Lake becomes a scintillating competition filled with dangerous temptations.

Aspiring author Diego (Marco Pigossi) and his supportive journalist girlfriend Sage (Maddie Hasson) rent a lavish estate for a much-needed lover’s getaway. When they arrive, they’re met with a complication — a double booking. Vacationers Will (Alex Roe) and Cinnamon (Andra Nechita), “Cin” for short,...

Held at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX, Fantastic Fest is known as the largest genre film festival in the United States. From horror to action, wacky comedy, and everything in between, Fantastic Fest offers something for every genre film fanatic. At this year’s Fantastic Fest, we at FandomWire saw 34 feature films, and we have decided what we think are the five best films we saw — from restorations to new releases.

After we share our top five films of Fantastic Fest with you, we will also share our thoughts on some of the other films we saw at the festival, so be sure to keep reading!

Related Terrifier 3 Fantastic Fest Review — Bloody Threequel Attempts to Overexplain Its Mythos FandomWire’s Top 5 Films of Fantastic Fest 2024 5. The Guest Dan Stevens stars in the action thriller The Guest, opening in September.

Okay, this might be cheating because we knew...

The latest film by Sean Baker (The Florida Project), Anora, took home the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, immediately thrusting it into the Oscar race. It’s no wonder why, as Anora is equally hilarious and touching, offering some of the best screenwriting, cinematography, and performances of any movie to have come out this year.

Anora Review

The film follows Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, who falls head-over-heels for her client, Ivan, with the couple deciding to marry impulsively, sending shockwaves through his oligarchal family. Although Anora does follow some familiar beats, Baker’s script presents such an invigorating and humanistic subversion of the genre’s tropes that it feels genuinely original and unique despite its references.

Related Bookworm Fantastic Fest Review — Elijah Wood Charms in Adorable Family Adventure

Perhaps the biggest surprise of Anora is that it is one of the funniest movies of the year.

The psychological thriller “Bone Lake” had its premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 to critical acclaim. The film combines elements of horror, comedy and intimate relationships into an exploration of modern love.

Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan, “Bone Lake” follows two couples who book the same lakeside vacation home without realizing it. Their unexpected meeting turns awkward and then sinister. The film stars Marco Pigossi and Maddie Hasson as a stressed couple, and Alex Roe and Andra Nechita as a more reckless pair.

Morgan sought to balance humor with disturbing themes. She cited the classic “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” as an inspiration but said “Bone Lake” brings a “comedic, horror, psycho-sexual” perspective. Both actors and critics agree the movie successfully tackles deeper topics through its genre format.

Pigossi found his grounded character interesting against the increasingly bizarre situation. Nechita enjoyed portraying her character’s complexity, from sweetness to manipulation. Cinematographer Nick Matthews...

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When two couples are accidentally double-booked for a romantic weekend at the same vacation home in Bone Lake, they opt to share the rental. It doesn't take long for things to get out of hand, turning the weekend from fun and relaxing to manipulative and violent.

Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan is no stranger to the horror genre. Her film Spoonful of Sugar received rave reviews after it played at Fantastic Fest, which is likely what drew her to return to the fest with Bone Lake. Lead actors Andra Nechita (Cin) and Marco Pigossi (Diego), however, are both new to the genre. Bone Lake is actively seeking distribution following its explosive premiere at Fantastic Fest.

Related 30 Best Thrillers On Netflix

Netflix is home to some of the most unique, tense, and incredible thrillers in cinema history but what are the best ones on the platform?...

The new Peacock thriller Teacup will surely be the talk of the town when it debuts on the streamer in October, just in time for Halloween. In the show, Scott Speedman, Emilie Bierre, and Caleb Dolden play a family trapped with their neighbors by a mysterious force on their remote farm in Georgia.

At Teacup’s Fantastic Fest world premiere, we spoke with Speedman, Bierre, and Dolden about their roles and why they think Teacup is so much more than just a horror show. Check out the interview below!

Teacup Interview

FandomWire: So I think that, although Teacup is a horror show, at its heart is an emotional through-line of family, seen through your characters. What do you think is so resonant about Teacup that makes it so resonant?

Scott Speedman: It begins with Ian McCulloch, who is a really good writer. I’ve known him for a while now,...

Genre cinema fans are surely familiar with the name Mercedes Bryce Morgan, whose one-two punch of Fixation and Spoonful of Sugar took the festival circuit by storm in 2022. This year, her third feature, Bone Lake, brought her back to Fantastic Fest for its world premiere. A steamy erotic thriller following two couples who find themselves in a game of cat-and-mouse, the film stars Marco Pigossi (Gen V), Andra Nechita (Marvel’s Inhumans), Maddie Hasson, and Alex Roe.

We at FandomWire got to speak with Morgan, Pigossi, and Nechita about the film, the resurgence of the erotic thriller genre, and the challenges of such an intimate, small-scale shoot. Check out the full interview below!

Bone Lake Interview

FandomWire: In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the erotic thriller genre. Why do you think this genre has renewed interest?

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: It’s really interesting because when I first...

Bone Lake is dark, sexy, and captivating. It follows two couples that are accidentally double-booked at a vacation rental home and decide to spend the weekend together. It doesn't take long before manipulation, betrayal, and violence break out. With an incredible lead cast, this movie is one to keep an eye out for.

Nick Matthews is the cinematographer for Bone Lake, but this is not his first time working on a horror film. Not only did he collaborate with Bone Lake director, Mercedes Bryce Morgan, on Spoonful of Sugar, most notably, he was the director of photography for Saw X. Bone Lake premiered at Fantastic Fest 2024 and is actively seeking distribution.

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Related "Saw X Was A Love Letter": What Made Latest Franchise Sequel Work Explained By Previous Movie's Director

Exclusive: Saw II director Darren Lynn Bousman shares his thoughts on why Saw X was so well-received by fans and rejuvenated the franchise.

Bone Lake isn’t just a fun name. For this slow-burn psychological thriller, it’s a promise. Following two couples stuck together in a lavish rental home after a booking error, the husbands jokingly argue whether the lake is named after a local Urban Legend about a serial killer or a guarantee that everyone who stays gets laid. But Bone Lake director Mercedes Bryce-Morgan (Spoonful of Sugar) thankfully asks: Why not both?

Directing from a screenplay by Joshua Friedlander (Holly Slept Over), Mercedes Bryce Morgan’s new thriller deals with the messy, complicated issues that sour long term relationships. Diego & Sage (portrayed by Marco Pigossi & Maddie Hasson) are struggling with the mounting pressure of a single income, now what Diego has quit his teaching position to pursue writing full time. They’re hoping that a secluded weekend getaway will help them reconnect…which is exactly what Will &Cinn (Alex Rose...

Sex, lies and murder abound in the first teaser for “Bone Lake,” the new film from “Fixation” filmmaker Mercedes Bryce Morgan. In this exclusive first look ahead of the film’s premiere at Fantastic Fest, two young couples are mistakenly double-booked into the same vacation rental, turning their romantic weekend into a twisted (and sultry) maze that gets bloody.

A mashup of early 2000s erotic thrillers and a lurid Lifetime movie, “Bone Lake” stars Marco Pigossi, Maddie Hasson, Alex Roe and Andra Nechita.

“When I first came on to direct ‘Bone Lake,’ the initial allure for me was its duality; on one hand, it offers the thrill and escapism that’s characteristic of a ‘popcorn movie,’ and on the other, it champions an underrepresented narrative about modern relationships,” Morgan said in a statement. “Delving deeper, this film dances on the line of our complex cinematic cravings: we’re drawn to...

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (Bhff) announced today the full program for its 2024 incarnation, running October 17-24 with all screenings held at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations. Audiences are in for an unworldly lineup of films and events, including a special screening of Larry Fessenden’s Habit with the Leviathan Award Ceremony, honoring his film career, hypes the press release.

In addition, Bloody Disgusting’s Screambox Original Series “Tales From the Void” will be screening alongside Joe Begos’s newest grindhouse horror Jimmy & Stiggs!

Here are the full deets…

The Opening Night film is the NY premiere of Dead Mail from directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy. The 2024 festival boasts the North American Premieres of exciting new films: Tiago Teixeira’s unsettling body horror film Custom; a new documentary on horror at the turn of the millennium from Phillip Escott and Sarah Appleton, Generation Terror; and New...

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival Announces Full 2024 Program: "The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (Bhff) announces today the full program for its 2024 incarnation, running October 17-24 with all screenings held at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations. Audiences are in for an unworldly lineup of films and events, including a special screening of Larry Fessenden’s Habit with the Leviathan Award Ceremony, honoring his film career.

The Opening Night film is the NY premiere of Dead Mail from directors Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy. The 2024 festival boasts the North American Premieres of exciting new films: Tiago Teixeira’s unsettling body horror film Custom; a new documentary on horror at the turn of the millennium from Phillip Escott and Sarah Appleton, Generation Terror; and New Zealand director Sasha Rainbow’s film Grafted.

The festival will feature the world premieres of Izzy Lee's first feature, House Of Ashes; the atmospheric ghost story,...

Fantastic Fest is bigger and better this year, which is its 19th. For 2024, Fantastic Fest is presenting 28 world premieres, 15 U.S. premieres and 23 international and North American premieres, plus some great events and plenty of special guests.

Ff will take place at the iconic Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas from September 19 through September 26.

The fun begins on opening night with the premiere of The Rule of Jenny Pen, starring Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow. Rush plays a judge who ends up in a nursing home. One of the other residents (Lithogow) is a strange man who takes great pleasure in terrorizing the others who live there.

Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel, Halle Berry as Momma and Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in Never Let Go. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher

Also premiering is Alexandre Aja’s new film Never Let Go. Aja will be joined by the film’s...

Fantastic Fest 2024, celebrating their 19th edition from September 19 – September 26, 2024 at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX, has unveiled its lineup. Highlights include the U.S. premiere of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud, Alexandre Aja’s Never Let Go, Nacho Vigalondo’s Daniela Forever, Sean Baker’s Anora, the world premiere of Terrifier 3, and much more.

“The Fantastic Fest team is absolutely elated about this year’s festival. We can’t wait to share the very best new films from around the world and enjoy our sensational events together this September,” says Festival Director Lisa Dreyer. “We’re also honored to be joined by a number of notable guests, and welcome our Fantastic Fest family back to Austin to celebrate cinema, whether it’s your 1st time or 19th!”

See the features lineup below.

Aj Goes To The Dog Park (Burnt Ends Selection)

USA, 2024

World Premiere, 79 min

Director – Toby Jones...

Exclusive: Alex Creasia has joined management and production company Navigation Media Group as a Literary Manager.

Coming aboard after a little over three years at Sugar23, Creasia has spent over a decade working in literary management and production. He often works with on-the-rise multi-hyphenates from diverse backgrounds, helping them build careers in film and TV, and has a passion for discovering and helping to expose out-of-the-box IP. Creasia also works with artists and producers in unscripted, often in the arena of sports.

In the past, Creasia has helped produce and sell such indies as Still starring Madeline Brewer, and Only starring Leslie Odam Jr and Frieda Pinto, both of which were written and directed by client Takashi Doscher. Other clients he brings with him to Navigation Media Group include Marcus Stokes, Spencer Paysinger, Mercedes Bryce Morgan, Mary Pilon, Alex Ebel, Spenser Starke, Daniel Brown, Hannah Mescon & Dreux Moreland, Sterling Brown,...

Exclusive: Married actors Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) and Mark Menchaca (Ozark) have been set to star in Long Pork, a revenge thriller short helmed by up-and-comer Iris Dukatt, who also wrote the screenplay.

Produced by Madhouse Films, the rising female led-production company founded by Katherine Romans and Charlie Sarah Traisman, as well as Elizabeth Valenti, the film takes place in a future post-Roe America where all reproductive rights have been banned. Headey plays Lily Williams, master chef at the renowned Foal’s Steakhouse, who lost her only daughter to forced birth under the federal ban. When Lily learns that Philip Anderson (Menchaca), the judge responsible for denying her daughter’s abortion request, is coming to dine at Foal’s, she enlists her team of cooks to exact bloody revenge, setting the stage for revolution.

Also starring in the pic, intended as a proof of concept for a feature, include Catherine Curtin,...

The Etheria Film Festival, a showcase of new horror, science fiction, and fantasy films directed by women, turns 10 this year, and they’re celebrating accordingly. And Bloody Disgusting can exclusively unveil what’s in store for this year’s fest, along with a sneak peek trailer.

The annual festivities will kick off with a live event in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at the Screenland Armour Theater with filmmakers and special guests in person for an onstage Q and A followed by an official afterparty. If you’re not able to attend in person, don’t worry; Etheria reteams with Shudder this year, and the official festival lineup will stream exclusively on the streaming service from July 2 through July 31, 2023.

Horror actress and director Brinke Stevens will receive the 2023 Etheria Inspiration Award from special guest presenters in person at the event.

“These films are so good your eyes will melt out of your brain,...

Gravitas Ventures has promoted Danielle Gasher to vice president, acquisitions and international sales, and Bill Guentzler to vice president, acquisitions.

Gasher will now head Gravitas’ new international sales efforts division that will launch at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, continuing to play an integral role as a part of the acquisitions team. Guentzler will take on the role of securing titles for the company’s slate of over 200 films a year. Together, Gravitas and Guentzler will identify films for the Gravitas Premiere label that launched “Mack & Rita,” starring Diane Keaton, in 2022.

Prior to their promotion, Gasher and Guentzler were both senior directors of acquisition for Gravitas Ventures where they worked on acquiring Gravitas titles including Alex Heller’s “The Year Between” with J. Smith-Cameron and Steve Buscemi, “All the World Is Sleeping” with “Scream VI’s” Melissa Barrera, “Ocean Boy” with Luke Hemsworth and the comedic drama “Gringa...

We move from February into March this week, which means the arrival of Scream VI is now just over one week away. But before we get there, we’ve got other fresh horrors to consume.

This week, Six brand new horror movies will be released, and included in the mix is the latest installment in a long-running franchise based on a classic Stephen King horror novel.

Here’s all the new horror arriving February 28 – March 5, 2023!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

First up, Gravitas Ventures unleashes Wolf Garden via On Demand outlets today (February 28), being described by Gravitas as a “elevated horror picture in the tradition of It Follows.”

Written and Directed by Wayne David, Wolf Garden tells the blood-curdling story of William (Wayne David), a young man who disappears upon experiencing haunting visions of the woman he loves and a mysterious creature in the nearby woods.

I know February is a short month and all, but... it's only the tenth! Do we need to talk about March already? I suppose with the promise of Spring looming ahead of us it's best now to note dates and reserve time for catching up with new and old horror faves between the shedding of winter coats and the impending doom of allergy season. The horror!   Mercedes Bryce Morgan's Spoonful of Sugar kicks off the month with a slice of hallcinogenic horror. There is a previously unannounced acquistion coming next month, Alex Herron's Leave. The month will conclude with Jeff A. Brown's The Unheard.    Herladed classics The Manitou, The Fog and The Wicker Man bolster the Shudder Resurrected lineup next month. They are joined...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Spoonful Of Sugar: "A disturbed babysitter experiences a sexual awakening while using LSD to alternatively treat a seemingly “sick” child from a family with dark secrets of their own."

Directed By Mercedes Bryce Morgan

Starring Morgan Saylor, Kat Foster, Danilo Crovetti, Myko Olivier

Streaming Exclusively On Shudder March 2

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The Backrooms: "A24, Atomic Monster, Chernin Entertainment and 21 Laps Entertainment team up to adapt Kane Parsons’ viral YouTube horror universe The Backrooms. Chernin Entertainment will co-finance alongside A24.

Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Dan Levine are producing for 21 Laps Entertainment. Lucas Ford from 21 Laps brought the project into the company. James Wan and Michael Clear are producing for Wan’s Atomic Monster, with Judson Scott executive producing and Alayna Glasthal overseeing for the company. Chris White brought the project to Atomic Monster and will be executive producing.

Roberto Patino (Dmz) is attached to write the screenplay and produce. The...

Shudder‘s next original horror movie is Spoonful of Sugar, a cinematic LSD trip directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan and coming exclusively to Shudder on March 2, 2023.

In the film, “A disturbed babysitter experiences a sexual awakening while using LSD to alternatively treat a seemingly “sick” child from a family with dark secrets of their own.”

Watch the official trailer for Shudder’s Spoonful of Sugar below.

The cast includes Morgan Saylor, Kat Foster, Danilo Crovetti, and Myko Olivier.

Mercedes Bryce Morgan is an award-winning queer Latina director. Mercedes just completed her feature debut, Fixation, premiering at TIFF. Mercedes has directed series’ for studios such as MGM, Facebook Watch, Snapchat, New Form, Eko, and Project Greenlight/ Adaptive.

As a screenwriter, Mercedes’ script, B1, made Tracking Board/ Launch Pad’s 2017 Hit List, as well as winning runner up at the 2018 Script Pipeline Competition and BET’s Project Create. Her script, Esc was...

"Bone-chilling, knee-buckling nastiness." Get ready for another acid trip horror film. Shudder has unveiled an official trailer for another indie horror film streaming soon titled Spoonful of Sugar, the latest from director Mercedes Bryce Morgan. This premiered at Fantastic Fest last year and also played at the Cucalorus Film Festival. A disturbed babysitter experiences a sexual awakening while using LSD to alternatively treat a seemingly “sick” kid. Morgan Saylor stars as Millicent, who is working on her thesis about children with severe allergies. She's hired to babysit Johnny, a sickly, mute child who suffers from every allergy under the sun. As she discovers Johnny's dark family secrets things begin to become unhinged. The cast includes Kat Foster, Danilo Crovetti, Myko Olivier, Danilo Crovetti, & Keith Powell. Looks like it gets extra wild with LSD sending everyone up the walls and all over the place. Maybe too much in one film? Or maybe not.

Whatever innocence is introduced in Mercedes Bryce Morgan's "Spoonful of Sugar" with the hummed tune of "Oh My Darling, Clementine" and glimpses of Christmas candy canes rots away like a forgotten fruit that rolls forever out of sight. Imagine "Mary Poppins" breakneck twisting into the darkness of "Orphan" or "Hard Candy." Leah Saint Marie's screenplay explores a drug-induced coming-of-age tale about a supposed hair-twirling babysitter's virgin's sexuality, but that's before Saint Marie balances out storytelling sweetness with an avalanche-pour of salty malevolence. "Spoonful of Sugar" is bone-chilling, knee-buckling nastiness that punishes every character with zero compassion — this ain't the twinkly-eyed fairy tale Morgan deceptively sells at the movie's onset.

Morgan Saylor stars as ponytailed and supposedly 21-year-old Millicent, who's just been hired by accomplished author Rebecca (Kat Foster) to babysit her allergy grab-bag of a son, Johnny (Danilo Crovetti). Millicent claims she's taking a summer hiatus from studies...

Shudder have announced that they have acquired the streaming rights for Mercedes Bryce Morgan's psychological horror flick, Spoonful of Sugar. The film will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest this coming Saturday.   Millicent is taking a semester off from her studies to concentrate on her thesis about children with severe allergies, which makes her the perfect person to take care of little Johnny, a sickly, mute child who suffers from every allergy under the sun, from nickel to artificial fabric. His overbearing mother, Rebecca, is an accomplished author who is focused on her latest book release, while his dissatisfied father, Jacob, spends sweaty, shirtless days toiling away on a carpentry project in the backyard.   Lacking a family of her own and seeking...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Ahead of its premiere at Fantastic Fest, Shudder has acquired the horror movie Spoonful of Sugar, with Deadline reporting today that they’re planning a release sometime in 2023.

“With Spoonful of Sugar, Mercedes Bryce Morgan delivers an incisive psychological horror laced with nightmarish visions of hallucinogenic beauty. We can’t wait for Shudder members to take the trip,” said Craig Engler, General Manager, Shudder.

In Spoonful of Sugar, a disturbed babysitter experiences a sexual awakening while using LSD to alternatively treat a seemingly “sick” child from a family with dark secrets of their own.

The film is written by Leah Saint Marie (Price of Honor) and stars Morgan Saylor (Homeland), Kat Foster (Gaslit), Myko Olivier (United States of Al), Danilo Crovetti and David Yow (I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore). Spoonful of Sugar is produced by Vanishing Angle’s (Werewolves Within) Matt Miller and Natalie Metzger...

Shudder, the streaming service for horror, has announced that they’ve acquired the psychological horror film Spoonful of Sugar ahead of its premiere at Fantastic Fest. The movie will premiere on the streaming platform in 2023 in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

“With Spoonful of Sugar, Mercedes Bryce Morgan delivers an incisive psychological horror laced with nightmarish visions of hallucinogenic beauty. We can’t wait for Shudder members to take the trip,” said Craig Engler, General Manager, Shudder.

Spoonful of Sugar is Morgan’s second feature. The film is written by Leah Saint Marie (Price of Honor) and stars Morgan Saylor (Homeland), Kat Foster (Gaslit), Myko Olivier (United States of Al), Danilo Crovetti and David Yow (I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore). The film is produced by Vanishing Angle’s (Werewolves Within) Matt Miller and Natalie Metzger along with Katrina Kudlick...

The start of Oscar season has a habit of eclipsing the independent features looking for distribution at the Toronto International Film Festival. Yes, there were a number of Academy Award nomination-worthy performances seen on screen at the event that will deservedly go on to earn those nods, but one of the very best performances of the bunch comes not from a feature directed by an industry icon or in a film with an ensemble full of past nominees, but rather from Mercedes Bryce Morgan’s feature directorial debut. It’s Maddie Hasson’s performance in Fixation.

Horror films love to have a twist. It’s not necessarily enough to scare the audience, but to fuck with their minds will ensure how memorable these films become in the future. Yet the truly great horror movies realize that the film can’t fully rely on the twist. The Sixth Sense’s twist was just the cherry on top of an already great film, while a film like Malignant goes effectively bonkers in the third act—an escalation of an already insane film. Fixation, the debut film from Mercedes Bryce Morgan, focuses far too much on building to the film’s twist, and in the process, Fixation becomes far too much about its aesthetic and tone than its scattered story.

Horror — and horror-adjacent films — have a big "it was all in their head!" problem. To be fair, this isn't a new trend — the 1920 silent classic "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" uses this idea with now-iconic results. But I feel like more and more filmmakers are leaning back on this when they attempt to make a genre pic. I don't mean to say they're all making movies where everything is a hallucination, but it seems more often than not that when a filmmaker wants to give us something scary or disturbing, they simply shoe-horn in a dream and/or fantasy sequence and call it a day. And it really feels lazy.

Mercedes Bryce Morgan's "Fixation" takes this to the extreme, dropping us into a story where nothing can be trusted. Is it all a dream? A nightmare? A very elaborate show? You'll have to watch to find out — but will...

What did Dora (Maddie Hasson) do all those years ago? That’s the question she’s asking herself as she sits straightjacketed in a hospital she doesn’t remember entering. What did her family do to her to earn that ire? That’s the question her doctors (Genesis Rodriguez’s Dr. Melanie and Stephen McHattie’s Dr. Clark) hope to answer for her through an invasively experimental psychiatric evaluation. While the two questions ultimately go together considering her actions were a response to that abuse, separating them should always be undertaken with extreme delicacy. Dora’s overall wellbeing should remain paramount regardless of how effective the therapy could prove by pushing the envelope beyond its limits since clarity can sometimes hurt as much as it can heal. Unless, of course, something else is going on.

It all stems from a memory caught on camera of a young Dora dancing in...

The Toronto International Film Festival isn’t as well-known for dealmaking as Sundance, and the clamor around Oscar-friendly titles tends to dominate, but buyers attending the festival always have a lot of possibilities to dig through. Many of the roughly 200 feature films screening the the biggest fall festival arrive without distribution.

In the past, TIFF has yielded plenty of big deals, including some that impact awards season, such as Neon’s 6 million 2017 pickup of “I, Tonya” that resulted in a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Allison Janney and Sony Pictures Classics’ 2014 acquisition of “Still Alice” that ultimately landed Julianne Moore her first statuette for Best Actress. Even during the pandemic, the sales continued: In 2020, Netflix picked up Halle Berry’s directorial debut “Bruised” for a reported 20 million after it premiered at a drive-in.

Still, buyers aren’t exactly bullish on acquisitions these days, as arthouse box office continues to struggle on every level,...

The 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced the international arm of its festival. Taking place September 8 through 18, TIFF previously unveiled Sally El Hosaini’s opening night film “The Swimmers” as well as Special Presentations including the world premieres of Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans,” Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” and Nicholas Stoller’s “Bros.”

“The Woman King,” “Catherine Called Birdy,” “The Menu,” “Moonage Daydream,” and “My Policeman” additionally debut at the festival.

Now, the Contemporary World Cinema slate has been announced for 2022 TIFF. The lineup includes features from more than 50 countries spanning the globe. The respective world premieres for “Bones of Crows” and “The Swearing Jar” are among programming highlights, as well as the North American premieres for Koji Fukada’s “Love Life” and Jerzy Skolimowski’s “Eo.”

“We are so proud of the TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema programs,” Anita Lee, chief programming officer,...