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Stars: Ben McKenzie, Bojana Novakovic, Sawyer Jones, Kane Kosugi, Malcolm Fuller | Written and Directed by Pablo Absento

Bloat follows Jack, a soldier whose family is trying to move past a recent personal tragedy. To facilitate this healing process, Jack books a family vacation to Japan for his wife, Hannah, and their children. However, before he can join them, a sudden escalation in tensions in the Middle East forces him to remain at his post, leaving him able to interact with his family only through digital means. Their trip takes a terrifying turn when Kyle their youngest child, has a near-fatal accident in a lake. Though he survives, the incident serves as an entry point for a supernatural entity – a kappa or river child, a water demon from Japanese folklore – to take possession of him.

While kappa are not necessarily the most malevolent of supernatural creatures, their actions in folklore range from mischievous pranks,...

The modern age of technology has enabled filmmakers to tell stories in new, innovative ways. One of the biggest examples can be seen in the ever-growing body of screenlife horror films and thrillers like Unfriended, Host, Spree, and Searching. Through a screen-sharing format, the subgenre pulls viewers into a digital landscape, bouncing across video calls, security footage, internet searches, all forms of text messaging, and more to create narratives filled with suspense as their protagonists try to either solve a mystery or escape a killer from the discomfort of their computer.

Oftentimes, these kinds of movies add in a supernatural element to not only up the stakes, but limit technology as a resource as it malfunctions in the presence of the unknown — Bloat, does just that. With award-winning director Pablo Absento at the helm, the film rediscovers an ancient Japanese folklore demon through a present-day possession flick, further highlighting the...

“Bloat” (2025), the screenlife thriller gets a new iteration in this Paul Absento thriller, which follows a US Army general, Jack Reynolds, who, through a virtual connection to his family vacationing in Tokyo, slowly realizes that his younger son, Kyle, might be the victim of possession.

Bloat (2025) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis

As is emblematic of screenlife thrillers, every perspective we see is via a screen, and the first scene we see is of the Reynolds—Jack (Ben McKenzie) and Hannah (Bojanna Novakovic)—celebrating the birth of their third child via a recording on Jack’s phone, only to be blindsided by the baby’s untimely death. Presumably a couple of months later, via iMessages, we see Hannah coaxing Jack to take a leave and go on a family vacation as a way to heal from family trauma.

Jack, out of the numerous popular travel destinations, selects Tokyo. While excitedly planning for the trip,...

The brainchild of Japan-based writer and director Pablo Absento, Bloat combines folk and screenlife horror to create a harrowing and sometimes unfathomable tale of familial grief, child possession, Japanese mythology and cucumbers. At the forefront of this digital horror tale are two brothers — older brother Steve, played by Malcolm Fuller of The Thespian, and the ten-year-old younger brother Kyle, whom horror fans might recognize as Aidan of the Wendigo vehicle Antlers.Separated from their off-duty military father, the boys accompany their grieving mother on a vacation in Tokyo to lift their spirits, but a near-drowning incident leaves Kyle considerably less human, and Steve very concerned. Teaming up with his father, Steve helps in the race against time to save his brother's soul from an inexplicable and ancient evil.

In this interview with Cbr, Malcolm Fuller and Sawyer Jones share their experiences shooting overseas in Japan, bonding with their on-screen family and each other,...

The producer of films including Searching and Unfriended, Timur Bekmambetov returns to screenlife horror with Bloat, headed to select theaters and Digital on March 7.

While you wait, Bloody Disgusting has been provided with an exclusive clip from Bloat that gives us a small taste of the demonic infection plaguing the family at the center of the film.

The demon in question? The frog-like Kappa from Japanese folklore.

In Lionsgate’s Bloat, “After a near-death drowning accident, a young boy’s family is horrified to discover he has become possessed by a legendary demon from the depths of the lake.

“As the family races against time to save the boy’s soul, the evil monster inside the child tears the family apart as it seeks to destroy everyone in its path.”

Ben McKenzie (“Gotham”) and Bojana Novakovic (Devil) star with Malcolm Fuller, Sawyer Jones (Antlers), and Kane Kosugi (Godzilla: Final Wars...

If found footage horror movies are to millennials, screenlife horror movies are to zoomers. With an innovative marketing campaign that understood the World Wide Web's growing impact on culture,1996's groundbreaking found footage flick The Blair Witch Project paved the way for modern screenlife films of the 2010s and '20s. And while works like Unfriended, Searching, and Host skillfully balanced onscreen suspense and multi-tab laptop realism, 2025's J-horror-adjacent film Bloat(which comes from a producer of Unfriended and Searching) sinks in a lake full of tropes and is deficient in scares.

Surfing to Japan on the World Wide Web

BloatHorrorRelease DateMarch 7, 2025DirectorPablo AbsentoProducersDzhanik Fayziev, Timur Bekmambetov, Ben McKenzie, Mariya Zatulovskaya, Anna Shalashina, Marie Garrett, Gilles SousaCast

Bojana Novaković Hannah

Ben McKenzie Jack

Sawyer Jones Kyle

Malcolm Fuller Steve Powered by

ExpandCollapsePros & ConsWriter-director Pablo Absento's clear knowledge of internet urban legends, supernatural forums, and mysterious caught-on-camera videos is worth noting.

Bloat, the feature debut of writer and directed by Tokyo-based Pablo Absento, has a lot of great ideas. Starring Ben McKenzie, Brojana Novakovic, Kane Kojugi, Malcolm Fuller and Sawyer Jones, and running at just over eighty minutes, Bloat combines folk horror, Japanese mythology, an iconic monster, and the evergreen subject of family trauma-based horror. It has great shooting locations, a solid cast of actors — including Sawyer Jones, aka Aidan of the similar folk-horror monster movie classic Antlers — and a great premise. However, even all these good qualities can't keep a story afloat when the screen is constantly flooded with screenlife clutter.

Bloat is the story of a family bereaved. Military man Jack Reynolds and his wife Hannah recently experienced a stillborn birth, casting a dark cloud over their family. In an attempt to lift their spirits, Jack organizes a family trip to Tokyo, but a sudden military conflict forces Jack...

https://youtu.be/4VZfmgLLXgY?si=aQZyZzVS9FukNpHH Directed & Written By Pablo Absento Starring Ben McKenzie, Bojana Novakovic, Malcolm Fuller, Sawyer Jones, Kane Kosugi Synopsis From a producer of Searching and Unfriended, Ben McKenzie (“Gotham”) and Bojana Novakovic (Birds of Prey) star in this chilling tale of horror and suspense. After a near-death drowning accident, a young …

The post Bloat starring Ben McKenzie, Bojana Novakovic, Malcolm Fuller, Sawyer Jones, Kane Kosugi – In Theaters, On Demand and On Digital March 7, 2025 appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

In Theaters, On Demand and On Digital March 7 Directed & Written By Pablo Absento Starring Ben McKenzie, Bojana Novakovic, Malcolm Fuller, Sawyer Jones, Kane Kosugi Synopsis From a producer of Searching and Unfriended, Ben McKenzie (“Gotham”) and Bojana Novakovic (Birds of Prey) star in this chilling tale of horror and suspense. After a near-death …

The post Official Trailer + Poster!! – Bloat starring Ben McKenzie, Bojana Novakovic, Malcolm Fuller, Sawyer Jones, Kane Kosugi – In Theaters, On Demand and On Digital March 7, 2025 appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

"You think you're gonna wake up from a nightmare – but it ain't no nightmare, it's real." Lionsgate has revealed an official trailer for an indie horror thriller movie called Bloat, made by filmmaker Pablo Absento who is based in Tokyo, Japan. Ready for release in March including on VOD, though we haven't seen this show up at any festivals before. The film follows a mother and two sons vacationing in Japan. Their younger son almost drowns in a lake, and soon after the accident, the parents realize that something is wrong with their boy. From a producer of Searching and Unfriended, Ben McKenzie and Bojana Novakovic star in this chilling tale of horror and suspense. The boy's family is horrified to discover he has become possessed by a legendary demon from the depths of the lake. As the family races against time to save the boy's soul, the evil monster...

Nearly three years have gone by since we heard that Ben McKenzie (Gotham) and Bojana Novakovic (Beyond Skyline) were the stars of the Japanese horror film Bloat, which had already started filming at that time. Now, Bloat is finally ready to make its way out into the world, as it’s set to receive a theatrical, on demand, and digital release on March 7th. Although with the release date announcement comes the unveiling of a trailer, which can be seen in the embed above.

Written and directed by Tokyo-based filmmaker Pablo Absento, Bloat is a co-production between Timur Bekmambetov‘s company Bazelevs, the Russian streaming service Okko, French production and sales company Pulsar Content, and Japanese production company flag Co., Ltd. Filming took place in New York and Japan. Bloat does indeed use Bekmambetov’s Screenlife filmmaking technique, “in which the story unfolds on the screens of the devices used by the movie’s characters.

Searching and Unfriended producer Timur Bekmambetov returns to screenlife horror with Bloat.

The J-horror-inspired film will possess select theaters and Digital on March 7 via Lionsgate. Check out the trailer below.

After a near-death drowning accident, a young boy’s family is horrified to discover he has become possessed by a legendary demon from the depths of the lake. As the family races against time to save the boy’s soul, the evil monster inside the child tears the family apart as it seeks to destroy everyone in its path.

Ben McKenzie (“Gotham”) and Bojana Novakovic (Devil) star with Malcolm Fuller, Sawyer Jones (Antlers), and Kane Kosugi (Godzilla: Final Wars).

Writer-director Pablo Absento makes his feature debut on the film.

The post ‘Bloat’ Trailer – Screenlife Horror Starring Ben McKenzie Will Possess Viewers in March appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Season 2 of Shrinking delivered gut punch after emotional gut punch. It was also full of witty banter, poignant witticisms, and moments that made us think. One character rose to the top through it all: Derek, played by Ted McGinley. Derek's wife, Liz, and the couple have a unique relationship. Derek is patient, laid-back, and supportive, while Liz is intense, shrewd, and not to be messed with. They're a perfect match. The same is true for his friendships, with Derek bringing calm to the general chaos at nearly every turn.

Shrinking is a departure for McGinley, who, before playing Derek, was known for roles like Jefferson D'Arcy on Married... with Children and Stan Gabel in Revenge of the Nerds. Perhaps not taken seriously for much of his earlier work, McGinley's increased screen time during the second season of Shrinking made it a better show. McGinley knows how special Derek is to audiences and,...

Nearly three years have gone by since we heard that Ben McKenzie (Gotham) and Bojana Novakovic (Beyond Skyline) were the stars of the Japanese horror film Bloat, which had already started filming at that time. Now, it looks like Bloat might finally be almost ready to make its way out into the world, as the Motion Picture Association ratings board has announced that they’ve given the film an R rating for language and some violent content. The film will be released by Lionsgate, but they haven’t set a release date for it yet.

Written and directed by Tokyo-based filmmaker Pablo Absento, Bloat is a co-production between Timur Bekmambetov‘s company Bazelevs, the Russian streaming service Okko, French production and sales company Pulsar Content, and Japanese production company flag Co., Ltd. Filming took place in New York and Japan. Bloat does indeed use Bekmambetov’s Screenlife filmmaking technique, “in...

Shrinking co-creator and showrunner, Bill Lawrence, is the king of TV comedy at the moment. Between his work on the aforementioned Harrison Ford and Jason Segel-led AppleTV+ series' third season, the fourth of Ted Lasso, the reboot of Scrubs, and his forthcoming, Steve Carell-led comedy, the man is busy. (Putting it mildly.) So it's no wonder that he's weighing the possibility of ending Shrinking with its upcoming third season—but he's also not entirely sure if he's ready to be done with it, either.

In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, Lawrence spoke candidly about weighing the options for Shrinking's future — particularly because it was initially pitched with a three-season-long story arc. When asked directly about whether he could "see the show going beyond that [initial three-season pitch]" or not, the showrunner said simply, "yes and no."

Will 'Shrinking' Get Renewed For A Fourth Season (Or More)?

Of course,...

Shrinking co-creator Bill Lawrence has opened up about the possibility of wrapping up the hit Apple TV+ comedy with its upcoming third installment. This comes after nearly a week since the show debuted its Season 2 finale.

During a recent interview with Los Angeles Times, Lawrence revealed the reason why Shrinking Season 3 would likely complete the story arc of Jason Segel’s character Jimmy Laird. The latter was introduced as a therapist who must deal with the grief of losing his beloved wife. "I think that this story is over in three seasons," Lawrence explained. "Because if we started the fourth season with Jason Segel going, 'I’m still so sad about my wife dying, and I really messed up with my daughter,' people would be like [contorts face into a look of agony]."

Related 'That Was Intentional': Shrinking Stars Address Louis and Jimmy's 'Inevitable' Moment in Season 2 Finale

Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel address the "inevitable...

Apple TV+'s comedy drama Shrinking has just wrapped Season 2. The Jason Segel and Harrison Ford-led show received critical acclaim and has already been renewed for a new season.

In an interview with People, co-creator Bill Lawrence explained that the show drew inspiration from Michael J. Fox and his journey since his Parkinson's diagnosis. Fox had previously starred in the first show Lawrence created, Spin City, which ran between 1996 and 2002. The legendary actor publicly revealed his Parkinson's diagnosis during the show's run in 1998. The duo reunited on Lawrence's series Scrubs, where Fox played Dr. Kevin Casey in two episodes.

Related 'That Was Intentional': Shrinking Stars Address Louis and Jimmy's 'Inevitable' Moment in Season 2 Finale

Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel address the "inevitable" moment between Jimmy and Louis in the Season 2 finale.

During the An Evening with Shrinking at PaleyLive event, Lawrence explained that he and the show's co-creator, Brett Goldstein,...

For those who are missing Ted Lasso, Shrinking is a viable replacement. Hailing from the same creator, Bill Lawrence, alongside Brett Goldstein, who played Roy Kent in Ted Lasso, Shrinking stars Jason Segel (who also co-created the series) as Jimmy Laird, a therapist trying his best to deal with the sudden loss of his wife. He finds a renewed lease on life when he discovers that unconventional methods are helping his patients. But that means he neglects the rules at times, which leads to reckless results.

The series has a beautiful mix of heart and humor, drama and comedy. The second season is arguably even better than the first, as the story continues in a meaningful way, leading to compelling arcs for all the supporting characters as well.

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If anyone can go toe-to-toe with Harrison Ford on the withering one-liners front, it is absolutely Kelly Bishop. So it makes total sense that the Gilmore Girls actress has been cast as Ford's character's ex-wife in season two of Shrinking. New photos from the forthcoming fifth episode, "Honesty Era" show the matriarch of the Gilmore family making her debut on Apple TV+'s heartwarming comedy.

In new photos exclusively revealed by Entertainment Weekly, we see Bishop popping up alongside not only Ford's character, Paul, but also Wendie Malick's Dr. Julie Baram (who is Paul's neurologist-turned-girlfriend on the Bill Lawrence series). In other images, Bishop's character Susan can be seen alongside Lily Rabe and Ryan Caltagirone, as well as Michael Urie, signaling that there may be a lot of hard truths that Paul needs to face in the upcoming new episode.

Related Shrinking Star Harrison Ford Says He Still...

Sometimes, it can be very difficult to decide whether to watch a serious drama, or a laugh-out-loud comedy. Fortunately, there are plenty of TV shows nowadays that provide a thoroughly entertaining blend of both of these genres. Of course, not every show that attempts to find the proper balance manages to do so effectively. Some programs end up just feeling like comedies with moments of drama randomly forced in, and others come off as serious shows that are merely being interrupted by unwanted jokes. After all, combining the two distinct elements is no easy feat.

Thankfully, certain gifted teams of creators are able to find just the right balance. While some may lean more toward the side of one or the other, these special TV shows successfully find ways to appeal to both fans of comedy and of drama. From murderers being funny to comedians being serious, blending comedy and...

Harrison Ford has just gotten some good news from Apple TV+. After the return of the actor's acclaimed series Shrinking, the streamer has ordered more episodes of the show.

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Per Apple TV+, Shrinking has officially been renewed for Season 3. The announcement comes just one day after Season 2 premiered on the streaming platform. The second season has quickly garnered high praise, currently ranked with a Certified Fresh score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, on par with the 91% score held by Season 1. Series co-creator and executive producer Bill Lawrence noted his excitement about the renewal in a a statement released to confirm the news after it was first announced at New York Comic Con by the creators and several stars of the show.

Related 'I Understand the Appeal': Harrison Ford Explains Finally Joining the MCU

Ford says it would have been silly not to get involved in the superhero genre.

Im so...

Quick Links Who Does Brett Goldstein Play in Shrinking Season 2? Why Is Goldstein's Character So Important in Shrinking Season 2? How Goldstein Came to Play His Shrinking Role

Fans know Brett Goldstein from his Emmy-winning role in Ted Lasso. Many also know that hes a writer and producer as well as an actor, a fact he has mentioned when recalling his journey on Ted Lasso. Working behind the scenes writing for that show, he decided to take a leap and ask to audition for the role of Roy Kent. It was a good decision, as he nailed the character.

Another show he works behind the scenes on is Shrinking. In fact, hes co-creator of the show alongside Bill Lawrence (who also co-created Ted Lasso) and Jason Segel, who stars in Shrinking. Goldstein appears in Season 2, and up until now, fans werent sure what character he would play. But as it turns out,...

Antlers Review — Antlers (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Scott Cooper and starring Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, Amy Madigan, Sawyer Jones, Cody Davis, Lyla Marlow, Jesse Downs, Arlo Hajdu, Dorian Kingi, Ken Kramer, Dendrie Taylor, Andy Thompson, Jake T. Roberts and Glynis Davies. Antlers [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Antlers (2021): Keri Russell Returns To The Screen With A So-So Creature Feature...

Jeremy T. Thomas, and Keri Russell in the film Antlers. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

Before you begin to fill the candy bowls and light up the jack o’lantern, how about taking a terror trek to the “haunted” multiplex for a very modern take on the traditional “creature feature”? Yes, there’s a growling drooling mythical monster at the center of the story, though the town and its past are pretty scary without this “beastie”. Perhaps this is a result of the unique behind-the-scenes pairing of a producer known for his fantasy fright flicks and a director who’d helmed several films that deal with all-too-human horrors. Together this “mad move-scientist” duo have stitched together a shambling nightmare thing that threatens to impale several villagers on its razor-sharp Antlers.

This said nightmare actually begins during another overcast day, just outside a remote dying town in Oregon.

Scott Cooper is comfortable in the mud. The American director routinely finds himself in the confines of the lowdown and dirty, in gritty landscapes with working-class characters overcoming their shortcomings and often turning to violence to solve their problems. While his previous two features Black Mass and Hostiles failed to find tension in their deliberately tedious pacing, Antlers strikes the balance between methodology, terror, and blue-collar dynamics.

Its prologue shows the grime that has become of a nameless Oregon town––sparse landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, grey air, oil rigs, polluted skies, and jobless Americans attempting to make a living after what once was a coal-mining town has all but descended into a town of the unemployed. Scott Haze plays Frank Weaver, a father of two who leaves one of his sons in the truck while he dives into a cave to make meth with his partner. Surrounded by medicine...

As movie titles go, “Antlers” seems ready-made for one of two holidays — either Christmas or Halloween — and it’s kind of a shame to see it squandered on the latter. Now what is some enterprising filmmaker supposed to call his revisionist Rudolph story when the time comes? The name’s a somewhat less obvious fit for director Scott Cooper’s somber, character-centric stab at supernatural horror, although it makes sense once you realize that this slow-burn, Oregon-set monster movie is centered on the Native American “wendigo” legend, whereby an evil spirit possesses people and transforms them into deadly elk-horned creatures with an appetite for human flesh.

Cooper has dabbled in many a genre across his five-movie directing career, although there’s been a consistent darkness to it all that puts horror squarely in his wheelhouse. Executed with style and perhaps a bit too much self-importance, his work has traditionally focused...

Often we refer to the concept of family as the ties that bind, and for good reason. Because sometimes, our family can be the very thing in our lives that is either holding us down or they can keep us connected to some type of trauma that continues to haunt our very existence. That’s the primary theme that ripples throughout Scott Cooper’s Antlers, a harrowing, gut-punch creature feature that is shockingly bleak at times and features brilliant performances from Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, and the precocious Jeremy T. Thomas, who is at the center of Antler’s mystery and is so heartbreakingly great in this.

In the small town of Cispus Falls, Oregon, a series of mysteriously gruesome deaths has gripped the isolated mining community, and Sheriff Paul Meadows (Plemons) is completely baffled by certain grisly details surrounding the murders. His sister Julia (Russell) is a teacher who...