News

Stories centering on a cult are an interesting horror subgenre. It’s always fascinating to be introduced to a new group of strange characters, led by an even stranger character, who basks in the glow of their worship. Sometimes there is a supernatural element at play, other times, it’s just the evils of humanity that drive the story forward. But it’s always interesting to see this level of arrogance and charisma gather a group of followers and watch the dastardly things they will get up to in the name of “a higher purpose.” Waking Karma, directed by Carlos Montaner and Liz Fania Werner (who also penned the screenplay) is an interesting addition to this corner of horror storytelling.

At a glance, Karma (Hannah Christine Shetler) is a pretty normal teenager. She lives with her single mother, she texts obsessively with her friends, she is excited to go away...

On Karma’s seventeenth birthday her mom, Sunny, discovers that the father of her child, a dangerous and murderous cult leader named Paul, is coming to collect his daughter for a rite of passage ritual. Mother and daughter flee to the remote compound of other former cult members, Butch and Priscilla. But there’s nothing like the grim determination of a cult leader and Paul is hot on their heels. He and his henchman Wendell break into the compound and subject Karma to a series of psychological trials meant to prepare her for this ritual. Waking Karma is the feature film debut of Liz Fania Werner and Carlos Montaner’s second film (after a documentary in 2010) is an attempt to create a thrilling narrative out of...

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

A cult that brainwashes people to murder each other in exchange for a promised eternal life. A young girl who’s destined to become a sacrifice in a profane ritual. A violent man who breaks the spirit of his victims until there’s nothing but a shell left behind. At first glance, there’s a lot to love about Waking Karma, the first feature from writer and co-director Liz Fania Werner. However, despite an intriguing concept, the movie often feels like Werner and co-director Carlos Montaner lacked the time to bring the story to life in a satisfying way.

Between a creepy ritual murder and a montage of newspaper headlines about cults, Waking Karma shows promise in its first few minutes. The story then shifts to its young main character, Karma (Hannah Christine Shetler), who is struggling to tell her mother Sunny (Kimberly Alexander) about her acceptance to Harvard. What should be good news becomes the start of an uncomfortable and long overdue conversation. Karma doesn’t know how Sunny will react; the two have been inseparable since they escaped a cult.

Carlos Montaner and Liz Fania Werner’s movie loses its mystique as soon as Karma asks her mother about her estranged father, Paul, and Sunny does what she always does; she acts shifty and stays quiet. Regardless of her weirdness, Karma doesn’t suspect anything. Not even when the two receive a foreboding letter from Paul, saying he’s coming for his daughter. The timing of the letter,...

This entire month has been loaded with fresh new nightmares, and we’re not slowing down in the final full week of January 2023. We’re getting Eight More new releases this week alone!

Here’s all the new horror releasing January 24-January 27, 2023…

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

First up, Universal and Blumhouse’s theatrical horror hit M3GAN is now available at home, the fan favorite film surprise-released for PVOD rental and/or purchase this morning.

M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Get Out’s Allison Williams), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to.

When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece,...

Waking Karma on January 26th The disturbing new thriller, starring Michael Madsen, arrives on U.S. VOD next Friday XYZ Films is proud to announce that they will be releasing Liz Fania Werner and Carlos Montaner’s dark thriller Waking Karma on North American VOD January 26th. A tale of buried family secrets and unbridled religious fanaticism, …

The post Michael Madsen in Waking Karma // Thriller arrives next Friday // Screeners available! appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Liz Fania Werner and Carlos Montaner's Waking Karma will be heading to VOD in North Ameica on January 26th from XYZ Films. Starring, Michael Madsen and Hannah Christine Shetler, we have a look at the first trailer!

Filmmakers Carlos Montaner and Liz Fania Werner's thrilling new feature expertly combines paranoia and suspense into a psychologically destructive journey through the unknown. Coupled with dynamite performances from Michael Madsen and Hannah Christine Shetler, Waking Karma is primed to explode when it arrives on January 26th.

Karma and her mother have spent their lives evading Paul, her cult leader father (Michael Madsen). With Paul closing in as Karma reaches adulthood, she and her mother flee to a friend’s remote compound.

Paul tracks them there and traps them within its walls, putting Karma through a series of escalating tests designed to break her spirit and awaken an unholy inheritance that lives within her.

XYZ Films has let Bloody Disgusting know they will be releasing Liz Fania Werner and Carlos Montaner‘s dark thriller Waking Karma on North American VOD on January 26th.

A tale of buried family secrets and unbridled religious fanaticism, the psychological thriller stars award-winning actor Michael Madsen.

“Filmmakers Carlos Montaner and Liz Fania Werner’s thrilling new feature expertly combines paranoia and suspense into a psychologically destructive journey through the unknown. Coupled with dynamite performances from Michael Madsen and Hannah Christine Shetler, Waking Karma is primed to explode when it arrives on January 26th.”

Exclusively watch the Waking Karma trailer below.

In the film, “Karma and her mother have spent their lives evading Paul, her cult leader father (Michael Madsen). With Paul closing in as Karma reaches adulthood, she and her mother flee to a friend’s remote compound.

“Paul tracks them there and traps them within its walls, putting...