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Exclusive: Visit Films has acquired worldwide sales rights to Sundance premiere, Luz, starring French cinema icon Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher), alongside Sandrine Pinna (Dead Talents Society) and Guo Xiao Dong (The Warlords).

The film follows an ex-con searching for his estranged daughter in China and a gallerist seeking connection with her stepmother in France where they cross paths in the VR world ‘Luz’.

The contemporary drama, written and directed by Hong-Kong born Chinese auteur Flora Lau (Bends), was on sale for Visit at the recent EFM. Pic is produced by Sinn Gi Joseph Chan (Wine Wars), Stephen Lam (Cold War), Flora Lau, and executive-produced by Yvette Tang. Visit is co-repping N. America with 2Am.

Lockjaw, Sabrina Greco’s first feature, screened at the EFM market ahead of its premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival.

The dark comedy follows a woman six weeks after a drunk-driving accident...

John Lithgow's upcoming Shudder original horror movie has received a streaming release date.

Based on a short story written by Owen Marshal, the upcoming James Ashcroft-directed horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen will be available for streaming on Shudder on March 28th. Per Collider, the theatrical release date is March 7th. The film will be available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and Ireland.

RelatedJohn Lithgow in Final Talks for Iconic Role in HBO's Harry Potter Reboot Series

After three other actors, a six-time Emmy-winning star is tied to the role of Dumbledore.

The film will see Lithgow take up the role of Dave Crealy, a twisted retirement home resident. The Rule of Jenny Pen's synopsis reads, "Arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush), who suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. There, Mortensen clashes with a...

The swinging extremes of online dating and fleeting relationships forged therein find their articulation in Elric Kane’s erotic horror-thriller, “The Dead Thing” (2025). A Shudder title, it goes without saying there are way too many beats of the film you can spot from a mile. Even then, it’s difficult to deny the film has some inspired, fervid streaks of gut-wrenching authenticity in the ways it registers the seeming irrevocableness of being stuck in a toxic relationship. Nothing seems possible, you are wholly shut in. The film understands and underscores this bleakness with forceful conviction to some degree.

Kane also displays certain stylistic fractures wherein the narrative fragments through elisions and vital details trickle in through passing suggestions. As the woman trapped in an abusive relationship, Blu Hunt playing the lead is terrific, anchoring the film in a shifting, disconcerting, and unpredictable assemblage of emotional registers. There’s a tough...

Plot: A young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections falls for a charismatic and sensitive man, who hides a dark secret that turns her affair into a dangerous obsession.

Review: Romance and horror go together like peanut butter and jelly. At their core, they’re just similar enough at their base levels that they can intertwine and make a beautiful chorus of emotion. Because what goes better with both genres than obsession? The Dead Thing blends both in a way that is both satisfying and frustrating depending on which part of the narrative. Thankfully all of it is anchored by a standout performance from lead, Blu Hunt.

The Dead Thing is very sexual on the surface, as even the opening title card plays over a scene of a guy going down on Alex (Hunt). But it makes sense as the entire first act is just Alex going on various one-night stands.

Directed by Elric Kane, Shudder’s The Dead Thing is an adult horror thriller that thematically addresses the downsides of online dating and makes use of horror elements to tackle abusive relationships. The film is centered around Alex, a young woman who lived a routine life. Going on dates was once the only highlight of her day, but lately, she felt too tired even to do that. She matched with dozens of men, yet none were worth remembering. Dating too had turned into a routine, but that was before she met Kyle on the app. There was something about him that intrigued her, and she agreed to go out with him.

Spoiler Alert

Was Kyle a ghost?

After dozens of failed dates, Alex finally felt she had found someone she would like to spend time with. Kyle was a smooth talker and a great lover, and she thought he was...

Caught in a cycle of disillusioned dates, a young woman believes she's finally found the love of her life... until she discovers his supernatural secret in Elric Kane's new movie The Dead Thing. With the erotic thriller now streaming on Shudder just in time for Valentine's Day, Daily Dead had the great pleasure of catching up with director/co-writer Elric Kane and stars Blu Hunt and Ben Smith-Petersen to discuss their new film, including exploring the movie's themes of dissatisfaction, the importance of spending time with their layered characters, and taking a unique approach to romance gone wrong.

Synopsis: Alex is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious, charming young man Kyle. Despite their passionate night, when the sun rises, the mystery man is nowhere to be found.

“Do you ever feel like there’s no escape?” This is the core tenor of The Dead Thing, the directorial debut of long-time producer Elric Kane, a critique of the cycle of addiction, isolation and co-dependency now normalized in a phone-crazed, digitally-dominated society. Premiering on Shudder just in time for Valentine's Day, The Dead Thing is an introspective, atmospheric meditation on the current bleak state of modern dating and the dangers that lurk beneath the surface of seemingly the happiest relationships. With its plethora of relevant themes, distinct, dreamy cinematography and a nuanced blend of horror, thriller, drama and eroticism, The Dead Thing is one of the more creative and subtle entries of the 2020s renaissance, but it falls just short of greatness.

Although the world may be more interconnected than ever, society has never been more isolated — and dating has never been harder. Just ask Alex (Blu Hunt) — a single woman in Los Angeles,...

Between doom-scrolling, ghosting and fear of intimacy, dating can feel like a horror film. No movie captures this better than Shudder's The Dead Thing, the directorial debut of Elric Kane. Combining dreamy visuals, neo-noir cinematography, erotic thrills and subtle social commentary, The Dead Thing is a meditation on the dehumanizing effect of social media -- and the brutal dangers that lie beneath even the most ideal romance.

Alex meanders through the streets of Los Angeles, swiping left and right and moving from one empty hookup to another. Things seemingly change when she meets Kyle. But after a perfect beginning, he ghosts her. Alex spends the next few weeks searching for the missing man of her dreams – and when she finds him again, the nightmare really begins. In an interview with Cbr, director Elric Kane and actors Blu Hunt and Ben Smith-Petersen share their experiences creating the bleak and beautiful world of The Dead Thing.

The Dead Thing

Behind every film are a mass of filmmakers turning a script, maybe even a dream of an individual or handful of people, into reality. Elric Kane's The Dead Thing and Joshua Erkman's A Desert are distinctly different films. The Dead Thing follows a young woman, in a mesmerising performance from Blu Hunt, who begins a passionate affair with a man who hides a secret. In A Desert, Harold (David Yow), a private investigator, is hired by a distraught wife (Sarah Lind) to find her husband, Alex (Kai Lennox), who has disappeared while on a photography trip in California's Yucca Valley.

Rosencrans' previous credits include Dalila Droege's 2022 thriller No More Time, about a couple seeking sanctuary in a remote mountain town from a virus that turns people into murderers, and the 2020 documentary Feather And Pine, about the effects of The Great Recession on a logging community in.

The weekend of February 14, 2025, offers an impressive line-up of new movies in theaters and on streaming. Those wanting to hit the big screens with popcorn in hand will have a choice between the next chapter of an iconic hero in Captain America: Brave New World or the adorable antics of one of the most beloved bears in Paddington in Peru. Netflix offers the anticipated animated film in The Witcher franchise, with The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. Meanwhile, Apple TV+ adds what may be a bit of a sleeper hit of the month in the dark mystery feature, The Gorge.

Other weekend highlights include the long overdue return of a beloved character in the romantic comedy Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy on Peacock, the toe-tapping Waitress: The Musical on Max, and the reality-warping horror of The Dead Thing comes to Shudder.

'Captain America: Brave New World'...

Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy flirt over an abyss full of creatures in a slickly made but increasingly dumb Apple mockbuster

On a Valentine’s Day when studios and streamers are steering clear of traditional romance, Apple TV’s The Gorge feels weirdly traditional in comparison. In any other year a film about two snipers holding guard over an abyss filled with monsters wouldn’t feel like standard date night fare but there are more traditional romcom beats here than one would expect and ultimately want.

When the film, from The Black Phone and Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson, starts off in genre territory, there’s some low-level fun to be had. The setup has a non-triggering Covid-era feel to it, as Miles Teller’s soldier-for-hire Levi finds himself an unlikely new gig, spending the next year alone in a watchtower. In a brief handover from an underused Sope Dirisu,...

A woman ghosted by her charming dating app suitor refuses to let go of their relationship in The Dead Thing. We have an exclusive new clip that may have you swiping right on Shudder’s erotic thriller.

The Dead Thing debuts on Shudder on Valentine’s Day.

Elric Kane makes his solo feature directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Webb Wilcoxen.

In the movie, “Alex is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious, charming young man Kyle. Despite their passionate night, when the sun rises, the mystery man is nowhere to be found.

“Alex then sets out to find the one person who made her feel alive. Through her investigation, she reconnects with Kyle, but also digs up a ghastly supernatural secret. The pair quickly...

Mad Max fans thought the '70s and '80s threequel would be it for George Miller's beloved film series, so imagine the surprise when an Oscar-winning follow-up came 30 years later that was arguably better than any of the previous movies. The wild critical and commercial success of Mad Max: Fury Road led to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which critics loved, and fans are still itching for more from the acclaimed Australian director. MovieWeb recently spoke with performer Ben Smith-Petersen (currently starring in Shudder's The Dead Thing), who worked as a stunt professional on both of Miller's modern Mad Max films, and we learned more about what the auteur is really like behind-the-scenes.

"George is amazing... For a film that's happening at the scale that those films are happening, his attention to detail is just incredible," Smith-Petersen told MovieWeb, adding an incredible anecdote from set:

"I watched...

Stars: Blu Hunt, Katherine Hughes, Ben Smith-Petersen, Josh Marble, Brennan Mejia, Joey Millin, Aerial Washington | Written by Elric Kane, Webb Wilcoxen | Directed by Elric Kane

The Dead Thing opens with an extended montage that gives us a look at Alex and the dead-end routine that takes up her waking hours. Her job is a dead-end position that has something to do with layouts and printing and her social life is a stream of one-nighters arraigned via a hookup app named Friktion, a name that’s meant to evoke the feeling of skin on skin, but serves as an omen of the conflict it’s about to bring her way.

Throw in some Uv light therapy and avoiding her roommate Kara and that’s her existence, I say existence, because it seems a bit of a stretch to call it living. For all intents and purposes, she could be the dead thing the title speaks of.

The Dead Thing begins with a familiar scenario: Alex, a young woman entangled in the monotonous cycle of modern dating, scrolls through an endless stream of potential matches on dating apps, searching for genuine connection amid superficial interactions. She connects with Kyle through the “Friktion” app—an attractive prospect who initially seems perfect and quickly captivates her.

Their early exchanges buzz with chemistry and excitement, presenting the illusion of contemporary romance without emotional depth. Suddenly, Kyle disappears without explanation, transforming the narrative into something more sinister: he is actually deceased.

Los Angeles serves as a critical canvas for exploring Alex’s emotional landscape. The city embodies emptiness—its architecture of stark office spaces, cluttered living quarters, and dimly lit social venues reflects Alex’s internal void. Digital interactions promise shallow connections but ultimately fail to create meaningful relationships. As Alex becomes consumed with reconnecting to Kyle, the urban environment pulses with an underlying tension,...

Who can forget Oscar-nominee Ralph Fiennes' glorious introduction in the beloved film In Bruges (2008), when he receives a troubling call and proceeds to smash his telephone again and again in a fit of rage. His wife storms in and yells, "It's an inanimate f***ing object!" And he immediately fires back, "You're an inanimate f***ing object!" Years later, it's this exact kind of "inanimate object" that has spawned all sorts of changes, conveniences, and problems in our lives, practically becoming more "animate" in the process. The power of phones, particularly mobiles and how much power they have at any given moment in our lives, informs the creepy new thriller, The Dead Thing.

Perhaps you've received the advice, "Still single? Get on the apps!" Followed by, "But be careful out there..." Well, which is it, friends and family? Leave it to the streaming platform Shudder to broach any number of...

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the beloved Sherlock Holmes franchise still continues with new media 140 years after it began with A Study in Scarlet. The CW is up next with the spinoff series Sherlock & Daughter. The great English actor David Thewlis plays the iconic detective, while rising star Blu Hunt (The New Mutants) portrays his offspring. MovieWeb recently caught up with Hunt while she was promoting her new Shudder film The Dead Thing, and the actress also took time to preview what's to come with her new CW show.

"It's not really a reinvention because, obviously, Sherlock Holmes has a daughter," Hunt told us. "Everyone's always thinking of them as being, like, basically asexual, you know? But I mean, working with David Thewlis is, like, more than a dream come true. And he's like the coolest person ever, and he taught me so much about acting, and it's just a great memory.

All eyes are on the alternate poster for The Dead Thing, pictured below. The erotic thriller drops February 14 on Shudder.

The film will also screen on 35mm at New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles on February 6, IFC Center in New York City on February 11, and Music Box Theatre in Chicago on March 7 and 8 with more cities to be announced.

Blu Hunt (The New Mutants) and Ben Smith-Petersen (Mad Max: Fury Road) star with John Karna (“Scream”), Katherine Hughes (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), and Brennan Mejia (“Power Rangers Dino Charge”).

Elric Kane, co-host of Fangoria’s Colors of the Dark podcast, makes his solo feature directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Webb Wilcoxen.

In the movie, “Alex is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious,...

Quick LinksMovies Coming to Paramount+Movies Coming to ShudderMovies Coming to MaxMovies Coming to PeacockMovies Coming to HuluMovies Coming to Netflix

Watching movies in theaters can be an exhilarating experience, but not every film necessitates such an expensive and time-consuming effort. Luckily, we also have streaming services that bring these films to our homes, offering a seamless experience for movie enthusiasts. However, there are numerous platforms that provide a large number of movies on a monthly basis, making it difficult to find something to watch. Fret not; we've prepared a directory of all the movies that will be available on major streaming services in February 2025, including Netflix, Prime Video, Shudder, and more.

Movies Coming to Paramount+

Paramount Pictures/Sony Picture Releasing

Here's every movie coming to Paramount+ in February 2025:

A Mighty Heart — February 1

A Walk on the Moon — February 1

Adore — February 1

Along Came A Spider — February 1

American Gigolo — February...

As always, Shudder is the best place to find some of the most frightening horror films. From the ghoulish to the gory to the supernatural, the streaming platform has an abundance of options for every horror lover. They also have plenty of horror comedies bound to entertain a number of viewers, and next month, there will be even more to choose from.

Valentine’s Day might be just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean romantic comedies are the only type of movie audiences should be watching. Rather, Shudder has a slew of February choices perfect for the season of love. They might contain a bit more blood and gore, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be any less entertaining. Whether viewers plan to watch something alone or with a partner, Shudder has every type of frightening film they could want next month.

'My Bloody Valentine'...

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If you are a horror fan, then there is a big chance that you might have heard about the horror streaming service Shudder, and if you have its subscription, you might be wondering what’s in store for you in February 2025. Don’t worry. There is a host of new and old horror movies coming to the service in the upcoming month, and we have listed the 10 best movies coming to Shudder in February 2025.

Unfriended: Dark Web (February 1) Credit – Blumhouse Productions

Unfriended: Dark Web is a screenlife horror thriller film written and directed by Stephen Susco. The 2018 follows a teen who finds a laptop with hidden files. When he and his friends try to investigate, they discover that the previous owner of the laptop had access to the dark web and was watching over them. Unfriended: Dark Web stars Colin Woodell,...

In this edition of Horror Highlights, we have the one-night-only theatrical release details for Alejandro G. Alegre's I Heart Willie, trailers for Elric Kane's The Dead Thing and Mark Anthony Green's Opus, and the cover art and release info for John Harrison's new novel Residue: Paramentals Rising.

I Heart Willie Theatrical Release Date: "Hewes Pictures is excited to announce the special One Night Only®, release of I Heart Willie, a Steamboat Willie-inspired horror/slasher, coming exclusively to theaters across North America for One Night Only®, February 26th, 2025. Directed by Alejandro G. Alegre, this chilling origin story presents genre fans with a sinister reimagining of one of the most iconic cartoon characters in history, along with one of the most horrifying love stories of the year.

Synopsis: Popular YouTubers Daniel and Nico are invited to investigate a haunted property drawn by rumors of a malevolent force. The legend...

Dating is brutal, right? In Shudder's upcoming The Dead Thing, it's also terrifying. The streaming platform has now released a trailer for the upcoming horror outing. The indie feature debuted at the Fantasia Film Festival last year before making its way to London's FrightFest and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. While there will be plenty of Valentine's Day movie offerings across streamers, The Dead Thing promises a scary date night when it lands on Shudder on February 14.

Directed by Elric Kane (best known for hosting the podcasts Pure Cinema and Colors of the Dark), the indie thriller follows a young woman named Alex (Blu Hunt), who is disillusioned with dating until she meets a charming man named Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen). A passionate night ensues, but things get eerie quickly after Kyle vanishes. The Dead Thing's official synopsis teases that once Alex reconnects with Kyle, she "digs up a ghastly supernatural secret.

This year’s Valentine’s Day is bound to be creepier than ever as Shudder is releasing ‘The Dead Thing,’ an erotic thriller focusing on one very real and very scary premise – ghosting that went wrong.

Shudder has released the trailer for its upcoming movie starring Blu Hunt as Alex. In the film, Alex is stuck in a cycle of dating through apps until she meets Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen), a mysterious and charming man.

Alex and Kyle quickly become attracted to each other and spend the night together, but when they meet again, Kyle seems to not remember her. As the story unfolds, Alex’s reality starts to change, and she discovers she’s been missing from work for nine days without explanation.

After spending a passionate night together, Kyle disappears by morning. Alex decides to find him, but in doing so, uncovers a dark supernatural secret. As they reconnect,...

"A stylish, ghostly LA noir." Shudder has unveiled an official trailer for an indie horror thriller film called The Dead Thing, made by filmmaker Elric Kane – who you might also recognize as a voice on the "Pure Cinema" podcast. The film premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival last year, and it also played at FrightFest and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. A young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections falls in love with a charismatic & sensitive man, who hides a dark secret that turns into a dangerous obsession. Another quick synopsis: A young woman ghosted by her charming dating app suitor refuses to let go of their relationship. The horror stars Blu Hunt as the main character Alex, Katherine Hughes, John Karna, Brennan Mejia, Joey Millin, Ben Smith-Petersen, and Aerial Washington. This trailer doesn't fully reveal what's going on or what's up with this guy, which makes it all the more mysterious.

A woman ghosted by her charming dating app suitor refuses to let go of their relationship in The Dead Thing.

Preview the erotic thriller in the new trailer and images below, ahead of its Shudder release on February 14.

Blu Hunt (The New Mutants) and Ben Smith-Petersen (Mad Max: Fury Road) star with John Karna (“Scream”), Katherine Hughes (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), and Brennan Mejia (“Power Rangers Dino Charge”).

The indie film marks the solo feature directorial debut of Elric Kane, co-host of Fangoria’s Colors of the Dark podcast, who wrote the script with Webb Wilcoxen.

In the movie, “Alex is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious, charming young man Kyle. Despite their passionate night, when the sun rises, the mystery man is nowhere to be found.

AMC Networks’ Shudder has announced the titles that will be available on the streaming service next month. The Shudder February 2025 slate includes horror, thriller, and supernatural titles.

The February schedule includes The Birthday, The Dead Thing, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person and Little Bites.

Shudder’s expanding library of films, TV series, and original content is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Little Bites Shudder February 2025 Highlights

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person – Streaming on February 10 (US)

Sasha is a young vampire with a serious problem: she’s too sensitive to kill. When her exasperated parents cut off her blood supply, Sasha’s life is in jeopardy. Luckily, she meets Paul, a lonely teenager with suicidal tendencies who is willing to give his life to save hers.

But their friendly agreement soon becomes a nocturnal quest to fulfill Paul’s last wishes before day breaks.

Are you a fan of erotic thrillers? If so, you're in for a treat with the upcoming release of The Dead Thing on Shudder. Here's everything you need to know about this thrilling new Shudder original film.

Elric Kane, who is known for his podcast shows Pure Cinema and Colors of the Dark, makes his feature debut with this movie. He directed this 95-minute film as well as co-wrote the script with Webb Wilcoxen (The Frontier). In addition, Yellow Veil Pictures and Rubric Pictures are the production companies behind The Dead Thing, with Matt Mercer and Monte Yazzie as producers.

It stars Blu Hunt as a young woman named Alex. Alex finds herself stuck in a cycle of meaningless hookups and unfulfilling connections until a chance swipe on a dating app leads her to Kyle, a mysterious and captivating young barista. After a passionate night together, Kyle vanishes by morning,...

One of the best parts of entering a brand new year is looking ahead and previewing another packed year for horror. And 2025’s horror slate is densely packed, its release schedule already stacked with exciting adaptations, franchise sequels, reboots, originals, and beyond. Even more exciting is that this only covers what’s already been announced; expect to get inundated with surprise announcements and film festival discoveries to further fill the calendar with horror goodies.

Welcome to Bloody Disgusting’s 2025 Horror Preview.

How massive will 2025 be for horror? If this preview of the year’s looming horror offerings is any indication, horror fans may be spoiled for choice. Of course, expect some release dates to shift and many surprises yet to get announced in the coming months. In other words, this is only the beginning of the year’s horror offerings.

Here are over 50 horror movies we’re excited to check...

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...

Elric Kane's solo feature film debut The Dead Thing will have its US premiere at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and Shudder has announced that they've picked up the streaming rights for it.   A young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections falls in love with a charismatic and sensitive man, who hides a dark secret that turns her affair into a dangerous obsession.   Our own Josh caught the premiere of The Dead Thing at Fantasia this Summer. Despite some small criticisms they liked it and finished off their review with this remark.   Sexy, sad, spooky, and distinctly unnerving, The Dead Thing is definitely a film for horror fans who prefer their scares to come with long lead ups and plenty of...

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

Shudder has announced today that they have acquired the North American, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand rights to Elric Kane’s solo feature debut, The Dead Thing, ahead of its U.S. premiere at the 2024 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.

The erotic thriller world premiered at the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival and will debut on Shudder on February 14, 2025.

The Dead Thing follows “a young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections, who falls in love with a charismatic and sensitive man, who hides a dark secret that turns her affair into a dangerous obsession.”

Blu Hunt (The New Mutants), Ben Smith-Petersen (Mad Max: Fury Road), John Karna (Lady Bird), and Katherine Hughes (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) star in the film.

Elric Kane wrote the script with Webb Wilcoxen (The Frontier).

“I’ve been a Shudder subscriber since almost day one and preaching about it on podcasts for just as long,...

Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has acquired “The Dead Thing” ahead of its U.S. premiere at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. The deal is for North America, U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand distribution rights.

The erotic thriller follows a young woman, lost in a series of meaningless connections, as she falls in love with a charismatic and sensitive man — who turns out to be hiding a dark secret that transforms her affair into a dangerous obsession.

“The Dead Thing” is Elric Kane’s solo feature debut. It was co-written by Webb Wilcoxen and Kane and stars Blu Hunt (“The New Mutants”) and stuntman-turned-actor Ben Smith-Petersen (“Mad Max: Fury Road”). It had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival and will debut on Shudder on Feb. 14.

“I’ve been a Shudder subscriber since almost Day One and preaching about it...

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 2024 edition, which runs from Oct. 17-24. All films will be screened at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations.

Opening with Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy’s crime thriller “Dead Mail,” Bhff will feature the North American premieres of Tiago Teixeira’s erotic body horror “Custom,” Phillip Escott and Sarah Appleton’s late ’90s horror documentary “Generation Terror” and Sasha Rainbow’s “Grafted” starring Jess Hong.

Films receiving their world premieres at Bhff include Izzy Lee’s directorial debut “House of Ashes,” the queer science fiction adventure “Psychonaut” and “Lilly Lives Alone” starring Jeffrey Combs.

“Fear in Focus” is set to return for Bhff 2024, with this year’s rendition centering around horror films from Spain. The sidebar program will feature a 35mm screening of “The Blood Spattered Bride” and a showing of the Spanish version of “Dracula” with...

Stars: Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen, John Karna, Katherine Hughes | Written by Elric Kane, Webb Wilcoxen | Directed by Elric Kane

Directed by Elric Kane and co-written by Webb Wilcoxen, The Dead Thing is an erotic thriller with a supernatural twist. By turns haunting, chilling and achingly melancholy, it’s also a compelling drama about digital dating and modern-day malaise.

Set in present-day Los Angeles, the film stars Blu Hunt as Alex, a bored twenty-something working a dead-end office job as a “scanner bitch” and spending her nights with a series of one-night stands she meets through a dating app called Friktion. Meanwhile, there’s increasing tension between her and her best friend Cara (Katherine Hughes), whose flat she has been “temporarily” sharing for more than two years and who is currently recovering from a recently called-off wedding.

One night, Alex meets kind-hearted, sensitive Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen) via the app and sparks...

Light-touch genre maybe isn’t as celebrated as it should be – human dramas that gently fold in elements of the sublime and surreal to make a louder and more exciting impact. They’re often not quite sexy or crowd-pleasing enough for horror fans, and a bit too aggressive for everyone else. Rarely does anyone manage to walk the ever-thinning tightrope between the two worlds, so to say that director Elric Kane’s engrossing relationship chiller The Dead Thing does is to not just call it impressive, but a full-on marvel.

An achingly millennial ghost story, set amongst the constant conveyor belt of swipe-right dating apps, Kane’s indie is a truly accomplished look at the hunt for human connection in an impersonal world. 20-something artist Alex (a likably messy Blu Hunt) barely exists, working nights in a menial job while slinking from casual hookup to casual hookup. It’s only...

As the end of August approaches, horror fans are eagerly anticipating Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024, the UK’s premier horror film festival. Running from August 22 to 26, this year’s lineup is packed with a variety of fantastic premieres, promising a festival filled with unforgettable nightmares and fresh horror talent. Whether you’re into psychological terror, supernatural scares, or gory thrillers, this year’s selection has something to satisfy every horror craving.

With numerous films on the schedule, it’s hard to narrow down our most anticipated picks. However, we’ve combed through the lineup to bring you the ten films we’re most excited to see at this year’s FrightFest. From visionary directors to fresh voices in the genre, these films are poised to make waves, offering everything from supernatural chills to blood-soaked thrills.

So if you haven’t done already, grab your tickets, brace yourself for the scares, and...

How does one form a meaningful relationship in the modern world? And once you do, how do you keep that relationship from dying, or turning into something else entirely? The Dead Thing is a supernatural story set in the modern online dating scene. It is an examination of how we make (or fail to make) connections in a technology-fueled world, and what can happen when those connections become too intense. This film comes from Elric Kane and is his first feature as a solo director.

Co-written with Webb Wilcoxen, The Dead Thing opens on Alex (Blu Hunt), a lonely woman trapped in the internet dating scene of LA. She splits her time between a colorless job as a document scanner and swiping through her dating app. She regularly goes out with men, hoping that one of them will be the right match. But none of the men that she meets are terribly interesting.

Ingress is a visually stunning and emotionally charged film that is set to take viewers on an extraordinary adventure through alternate realities. The highly anticipated sci-fi film, directed by award-winning filmmaker Rachel Noll James, is set to release on multiple digital platforms following a successful theatrical and festival run. This joint US/UK production by Emergence Films will be available on Cable and all Tvod platforms including InDemand, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Tvod, and Vudu, courtesy of Glass House Distribution.

Ingress has been noted for for its innovative approach to both storytelling and production. It tells the gripping story of Riley (portrayed by James), a woman endowed with the ability to traverse between alternate realities. After the tragic death of her husband Toby (Johnny Ferro), Riley embarks on a journey through these realities, seeking solace and a way to reunite with him. Along the way, she encounters Daniel (Christopher Clark...

There’s horror to be found in LA’s dating scene, at least according to the first solo fiction feature film from director Elric Kane. Working from a script he co-wrote with Webb Wilcoxen, Kane’s The Dead Thing is a moody, atmospheric look at the toxicity of finding someone in the city of angels.

Alex (Blu Hunt of The New Mutants) is a twenty-something single who is stuck in a perpetual dating rut. She’s active on Friktion, a dating app, and the opening of the film finds her in a cycle of generic looking men: first on the app, then at the bar, and finally in bed. For Alex, this is repetitive, it’s unexciting, and it’s transactional.

It’s also notable that the only sound is dialogue from men and/or the score by Michael Krassner and Robin Vining. Alex herself doesn’t speak until nearly nine minutes into the film,...

Yellow Veil Pictures has proudly announced the international premiere of Elric Kane’s debut solo feature, The Dead Thing, an obsessive and lust-driven thriller set to captivate audiences at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest. The film will screen on 26th August at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, promising a unique blend of horror and romance that will leave viewers spellbound.

The Dead Thing marks a significant milestone for Kane, known for his work as the host of the Pure Cinema podcast and Fangoria’s Colors of the Dark podcast. This debut solo feature is based on a script co-written with Webb Wilcoxen and produced by Matt Mercer and Monte Yazzie, with Colors of the Dark co-host Rebekah McKendry (Glorious) serving as executive producer. Yellow Veil Pictures is handling worldwide sales, underscoring the film’s anticipated global appeal.

Starring Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen, John Karna, and Katherine Hughes, The Dead Thing delves into...

Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck Return to the Hellboy Universe with The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Grey and the Last Battle for England: "Mike Mignola and his longtime collaborator Ben Stenbeck are joining forces to create the next chapter of the Hellboy Universe in The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Grey and the Last Battle for England, a new 3-issue miniseries written by Mignola and drawn by Stenbeck with colors by Dave Stewart, with lettering from Clem Robins. Issue 1 will be published in November by Dark Horse Comics. Nineteenth-century paranormal investigator Ed Grey’s illustrious and otherworldly career has been a pivotal part of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy Universe. From his first appearance of Hellboy: Wake the Devil to his unforgettable roles in Hellboy in Hell and Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder, Grey has always been one of the most important and enigmatic figures in the Hellboy Universe.

“Ed Grey...

Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024, the UK’s No.1 horror & fantasy film festival, will, for the first time, present its five-day extravaganza at The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, taking over all seven screens, including the two Odeon Luxe West End screens.

Running from Thursday August 22nd – Monday 26th August, Pigeon Shrine FrightFest will showcase sixty-nine features from across the world, including twenty-five main screen premieres and forty-five Discovery Screen titles, embracing the famed ‘First Blood’ strand, the latest genre documentaries, and some exciting restorations and retrospectives. Plus, there’s the regular short-film showcase, panels, and some surprise 25th edition extras. This year there are twenty-eight world premieres, with eleven countries represented, spanning four continents.

Co-director Alan Jones comments:

FrightFest, the Dark Heart of Cinema, has been beating loud and proud now for an amazing 25 years. An incredible quarter of a century that has seen major challenges and transformations to the global...