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[Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault; Editor's Note: Spoilers Discussed Throughout]

Rape-revenge films have a long lineage in cinematic history. While the genre primarily sits in the latter half of the 20th century and beyond, you can trace early roots to 1931’s A Woman Branded, in which a woman is assaulted and contracts a venereal disease. But it was 1960’s The Virgin Spring that completely upended the film world and set in motion much of what we understand about and see in modern rape-revenge films. In the following decades, we’ve seen countless versions of a similar story, and you can owe another genre touchstone, 1978’s graphically assaultive I Spit on Your Grave, for furthering the reach of the rape-revenge archetype and laying the foundation for what was to come.

Filmmaker Mary Beth McAndrews plants her flag in the genre with her 2025 indie film, Bystanders, in which a young woman is raped and the night unravels into bloodthirsty revenge and burnt male flesh.

Mutilator 2, writer/director Buddy Cooper’s long-awaited follow-up to his 1984 slasher The Mutilator (pick up a copy Here), is starting to make its way out into the world. The movie was screened at Joe Bob Briggs’ latest drive-in Jamboree event a couple of years ago, and received an “audience favorite” award there. It took a while for it to secure a distribution deal, but now it has – and while Cooper and the distributor were talking about a September 2nd release date, Mutilator 2 has already shown up on Prime Video! It’s currently available to watch at This Link, where it can be rented for $2.99 or purchased for $9.99.

Cooper has confirmed that the movie will be released to major transactional platforms first followed by Fandango/Vudu, Rogers, and then some of the Mod platforms. Eventually, it will also make its way to Tubi and Xumo.

The original The Mutilator (a.

Following a wave of festival accolades, Bystanders, the directorial debut of Mary Beth McAndrews, has locked in a VOD release date of 21 January via Dread, the specialty horror label of Epic Pictures. The revenge thriller, written by Jamie Alvey, has already made an impact on the festival circuit, sweeping multiple awards at HorrorHound Film Festival and earning further recognition at Nightmares Film Festival.

Starring Brandi Botkin, Bob Wilcox, Garrett Murphy, Jamie Alvey, Chaney Morrow, and Hannah Fierman, Bystanders is a horror-thriller that blends social commentary with blood-soaked vengeance. The film centres on Abby, a socially awkward teenager who finds herself in the midst of a frat party gone horrifically wrong. When a group of privileged young men turn their party into a hunting ground, Abby’s desperate escape leads her into the path of Clare and Gray, a millennial couple who quickly realise they can no longer be passive onlookers.

Mary Beth McAndrews is determined to make art that wakes people up.

“There’s always been strong women in horror, incredible female characters,” she says. “I think what’s shifting in the horror of the last decade is more and more women are being given budgets by people to make movies that are much more of a sledgehammer, rather than a delicate little way to needle it, subtextually talk about women’s issues. Now we’re coming in with sledgehammers and saying, ‘It’s time, you’ve got to listen. We’re going to shove glass in your eyes and say no more male gaze.'”

McAndrews is smashing onto the scene with her directorial debut “Bystanders,” now available on VOD via Dread. The film is about Abby (Brandi Botkin), a young woman who visits a frat party with her friends, who are drugged, raped and chased by men. Yet...

A brand new theatrical release puts a unique twist on the classic haunted house movie, Richard Dreyfuss returns to the shark attack sub-genre, and one of the late Tony Todd’s final horror movies gets a posthumous release. And that’s just the beginning of this week’s new arrivals.

Here’s all the new horror that released January 20 – January 24, 2025!

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

Horror legend Tony Todd leaves behind a handful of roles in horror movies not yet released, and one of the first of his final roles comes courtesy of Werewolf Game, now available on VOD.

In Werewolf Game, “Twelve strangers are kidnapped and forced to play Werewolf Game, to the death. A thrilling feature film based on the iconic party game.”

Sunstrike Pictures tells Bd, “We have a huge influence of John Carpenter and horror manga, to create a...

Stars: Brandi Botkin, Bob Wilcox, Erica Dodt, Callie Kirk, Zach Hurley, John Conners, Deaton Gabbard, Jamie Alvey, Garrett Murphy, Chaney Morrow, Hannah Fierman, Eric Six | Written by Jamie Alvey | Directed by Mary Beth McAndrews

Abby is a typical teenage girl nursing a not-so-secret crush on Cody, the quintessential rich frat boy. So, when Cody invites her and her friends Jade (Erica Dodt) and Brie (Callie Kirk) to what’s described as a frat party, Abby is elated. However, what she imagines will be a fun night quickly turns into a nightmare.

Cody and his equally privileged and sadistic buddies, Travis, Jacob (John Conners), and Brad, have no intention of hosting a typical party. Instead, their “party” is a setup for something far more sinister. Their real plan involves drugging and assaulting the unsuspecting girls before dumping them in the surrounding woods for a depraved hunt, treating them like animals in a lethal hunt.

Check out an exclusive clip from the new Dread Presents horror movie

Bystanders Exclusive Clip

Dread, Epic Pictures’ specialty horror label, will be releasing the rape-revenge thriller, Bystanders, in North America. The feature will be available for rent or purchase on video-on-demand (VOD) January 21, 2025. During the film’s festival run, the title garnered awards from Nightmares Film Festival and HorrorHound Film Festival. At HorrorHound it was nominated for 11 awards — winning seven, including Best Feature, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Supporting Performance (Garrett Murphy), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Judges Choice. Bystanders marks Mary Beth McAndrews’ directorial debut and stars Brandi Botkin, Bob Wilcox, Garrett Murphy, Jamie Alvey, Chaney Morrow and Hannah Fierman. Jamie Alvey also served as the film’s writer.

Uniquely positioned from a feminist point of view, the Bystanders synopsis reads:

Clare and Gray are your typical loving millennial couple navigating a jaded world. Abby is a sweet awkward teen.

Epic Pictures’ Dread Label Sets Release Date for Revenge Slasher Bystanders: "Dread, L.A.-based distribution and financing company Epic Pictures’ specialty horror label, will be releasing the rape-revenge thriller, Bystanders, in North America. The feature will be available for rent or purchase on video-on-demand (VOD) January 21, 2025. During the film’s festival run, the title garnered awards from Nightmares Film Festival and HorrorHound Film Festival. At HorrorHound it was nominated for 11 awards — winning seven, including Best Feature, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Supporting Performance (Garrett Murphy), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Judges Choice. Bystanders marks Mary Beth McAndrews’ directorial debut and stars Brandi Botkin, Bob Wilcox, Garrett Murphy, Jamie Alvey, Chaney Morrow and Hannah Fierman. Jamie Alvey also served as the film’s writer.

Uniquely positioned from a feminist point of view, the Bystanders synopsis reads: Clare and Gray are your typical loving millennial couple navigating a jaded world. Abby is a sweet awkward teen.

"I'm gonna carve you pretty little things up just right." Dread + Epic have revealed an official trailer for an indie horror film called Bystanders, arriving on VOD this January. This premiered at the HorrorHounds Film Festival last year, marking the feature directorial debut of film journalist Mary Beth McAndrews (who runs Dread), where it picked up a number of awards at the end. A group of murderous frat boys get more than they bargained for when they cross paths with a couple coming home from a wedding. "Bystanders has been incredibly close to my heart since I first read Jamie Alvey's script," she explains. "Bystanders' is more important now than ever and I’m thrilled that Dread is helping us share it with the world." The indie film revenge horror thriller features Brandi Botkin, Bob Wilcox, Garrett Murphy, Jamie Alvey, Chaney Morrow, and Hannah Fierman. A story about getting...

Stars: Patrick Taft, Brandi Botkin, Terry Tocantins, John Wells | Written by David Andrew James, Nick Laughlin, Joe Zappa | Directed by David Andrew James

How far would you go to save the life of a loved one? That’s the question facing Matt at the start of Bag of Lies. His wife Claire has terminal cancer and has decided to stop subjecting herself to the brutal effects of chemo, which was simply delaying the inevitable. He on the other hand can’t deal with the idea of her death.

In desperation, he makes a deal with Al who possesses what he claims is a magic bag that can save her. All it takes is a simple ritual, wait three days and then follow three simple rules afterwards. Don’t talk to it. Don’t look at it. Don’t touch it. Seems simple enough, right? So did “don’t feed it...

Ahead of Bag of Lies' theatrical release tomorrow, we have an exclusive clip you can watch right now!

"Dread, L.A.-based distribution and financing company Epic Pictures’ specialty horror label, will be releasing their horror/thriller, Bag Of Lies, in North America. The film will have a limited theatrical run beginning March 29, 2024, followed by a VOD release on April 2, 2024. Bag of Lies was directed by David Andrew James, co-written by Joe Zappa and James from a concept by Nick Laughlin. Patrick Ewald, Jacob P. Heineke and James served as the film’s producers. Bag of Lies stars Patrick Taft, Brandi Botkin, John Wells, Madison Pullins (The Kiss List) and Terry Tocantins.

How far would you go for the one you love? Desperate to save his dying wife, Matt turns to The Bag, an ancient relic with dark magic. The cure demands a chilling ritual and strict rules. As his wife heals,...

"We've been pursuing an alternative method." Dread has revealed an official trailer for an indie horror film titled Bag of Lies, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker David Andrew James. This is set for a limited theatrical release at the end of March, available to watch on VOD in April. They're keep the twists a mystery - though it's obviously about a scary bag. Desperate to save his dying wife, Matt turns to "The Bag," an ancient relic with dark magic. The cure demands a chilling ritual and strict rules. As his wife heals, Matt's sanity unravels, facing terrifying consequences. Sounds like a new remix on The Monkey's Paw concept. This stars Patrick Taft, Brandi Botkin, John Wells, Madison Pullins, & Terry Tocantins. "David James brought his macabre expertise to the table and together we conjured terror that will haunt audiences." The director says that the film "packs as much of an emotional punch,...

Mutilator 2, writer/director Buddy Cooper’s long-awaited follow-up to his 1984 slasher The Mutilator (pick up a copy Here), is ready to make its way out into the world. The movie even screened at Joe Bob Briggs’ latest drive-in Jamboree event back in October, and received an “audience favorite” award there. And yet it still hasn’t secured a distribution deal. Cooper confirmed this on Facebook, where he wrote, “We are still searching for distribution. It might help if a few fans asked their favorite streaming service or theater when they would be showing Mutilator 2. If enough people show an interest, I feel like a distributor would be willing to help get it out to everyone.“

The fact that Shudder hasn’t swooped in to release this as a Shudder Original is shocking, given that they’ve not only had The Mutilator on their streaming service, but even had...

Fangoria has unveiled the trailer for Mutilator 2, writer/director Buddy Cooper’s long-awaited follow-up to his 1984 slasher The Mutilator (pick up a copy Here), and you can check it out in the embed above! It was previously announced that The Mutilator cast members Ruth Martinez and Bill Hitchcock would be returning for Mutilator 2, despite the fact that Hitchcock’s character died in the first movie, and now the trailer has revealed how that’s possible: this sequel is taking a meta approach! Much like New Nightmare or the Town That Dreaded Sundown update, Mutilator 2 is set in a world where the first film was just a movie. But now someone is bringing the slashing of The Mutilator to life.

The original The Mutilator (a.k.a. Fall Break) had the following synopsis:

Years after the accidental death of his wife, a deranged man starts to slice and dice his son...

Thirty-eight years after gifting the world a really cool slasher called The Mutilator (pick up a copy Here), writer/director Buddy Cooper has finally gotten around to making a sequel to the film… and over the weekend, he took to social media to unveil the first official poster for Mutilator 2! You can take a look at the poster at the bottom of this article.

Cooper notes that “the woman bound to the nasty looking piling” on the Mutilator 2 poster is Olivia, played by Eva Hamilton of Death Kiss. Producer Jeff Seemann added that “the ocean water was in the 40s when Eva stepped into it for this scene.” So it definitely sounds like it’s a moment worth promoting on the poster.

The original The Mutilator (a.k.a. Fall Break) had the following synopsis:

Years after the accidental death of his wife, a deranged man starts to slice and...

"It's my fault that he escaped!" Jonestown Films & Wild Eye have released an official trailer for Wicked Ones, a horror sequel arriving on VOD in September. It's a brutal follow-up to filmmaker Tory Jones' 2017 feature The Wicked One, about a "dangerous and prolific" serial killer. The sequel reunites them for another evil trip into hell. While returning to Carpenter Falls, The Lawson family come to their final confrontation with The Wicked One, a serial killer with whom their last encounter has haunted them for a decade. Wicked Ones stars Richard Leo Hunt, Katie Stewart, Dale Miller, Skyler Guthrie, Morgan Pyle, & Brandi Botkin. This certainly looks like a direct-to-video sequel most people won't have any interest in watching. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Tory Jones' Wicked Ones, direct from YouTube: While returning to Carpenter Falls, The Lawson family come to their final confrontation with The Wicked One, a...