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As another year of horror ends, we reflect on the best this genre had to offer. Usually, that means focusing on those movies that drew the most attention. However, there are also those movies that slipped under everyone’s radars for whatever reason, ultimately causing them to be overlooked. So the objective here is to bring more attention to these releases as horror fans play catch-up.

Like last year, 2023 was a strong year for horror. And these ten hidden gems might have escaped notice at the time, but it’s never too late to discover them now.

Pollen

Image: Ava Rose Kinard in D.W. Medoff’s Pollen.

In the vein of other horror movies about misunderstood outsiders, like May and Love Object, D.W. Medoff‘s first long feature Pollen focuses on an individual whose awkward and unconventional ways make her stand out in society. Although, it wasn’t always...

Pollen: "After a senior coworker assaults a bright-eyed young woman, her dream job becomes a living nightmare as she tries to keep her career together while being tormented at work, at home, and in her dreams by a mysterious tree monster."

Directed by: Dw Medoff

Starring: Ava Rose Kinard, Tyler Buckingham, Ashley Ames, Bennett Welsh, Leanna Adams, Ian Covell, Riley Madison Fuller, Kristen Taylor, Sajid Chaudhary

Now available from Gravitas Ventures, Pollen is available on Amazon, AppleTV, GooglePlay, Vudu, Xfinity, Fios and most other VOD platforms.

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"Violet, a damaged singer whose dreams were shattered, headlines at The Driftwood, an infamous Hollywood club. The comfort of that stage is not enough when her traumatic past comes to visit.

Pollen is an upcoming horror movie from writer/director D.W. Medoff, starring Ava Rose Kinard, Tyler Buckingham, and Ashley Ames. Kinard will star as Hera, an office worker who a senior co-worker assaults. Afterward, Hera finds herself tormented by a mysterious tree monster at her home, work, and even in her dreams.

“This movie is fortunate to have a star like Ava Rose bring to life the torment of a young woman after surviving sexual assault. Pollen is a horror movie, but the villain is very real. We need to continue talking about violence against women and teaching younger generations how to be better. We also need to discuss how women are treated in the workplace. Not just the pay gap in corporate America, but on a daily basis."

In an interview with Dread Central, Medoff went over his various inspirations for Pollen, which will also be his first feature length film.