‘Influencers’ and ‘The Home’ To Open FrightFest 2025
FrightFest, the number one horror and fantasy film festival in the UK, is back this year for its annual five-day extravaganza. Running from August 21 to August 25, 2025, FrightFest will showcase 69 features from across the world, including 19 world premieres from 14 countries and four short film showcase. This year, the festival returns to The Odeon LUXE Leicester Square and ODEON Luxe West End, taking over seven screens total for horror and genre filmmaking galore.
Festival co-director Alan Jones said, “FrightFest in its 26th year remains the UK’s Number One destination for genre fans. The 2025 event will be epic in every sense, celebrating the inventive, transgressive and diverse. So, join us for an event that has consistently remained in the Top Ten of The World’s Best Fantasy Festivals list”.
The festival opens with the UK premiere of THE HOME from director James DeMonaco, creator of The Purge franchise. It’s been described as an exhilarating ride into pure suspense-filled terror. Actor/comedian Pete Davidson gives a fantastic performance as Max, a rebellious twentysomething sentenced to community service at a quiet retirement home.
The closing night film is the UK premiere of Kurtis David Harder’s INFLUENCERS. Just when you thought it was safe to travel again, the mysterious chameleon CW pops into your social media feed and activates your FOMO in the second epic installment of Shudder’s wildly successful original.
Returning FrightFest Talent
Erik Bloomquist will be attending with his latest cult chiller, SELF-HELP, acclaimed director Simon Rumley returns with CRUSHED, his most raw and unflinching film yet, the renowned Adams family are back with MOTHER OF FLIES, their spiritual sequel to Hellbender, and Joe Begos is in the building with JIMMY AND STIGGS, a wild and wonderful ride in the Evil Dead and Bad Taste tradition.
Then there is Neil Marshall, who will be presenting the World premiere 4K Restoration screening of THE DESCENT, with some of the original cast also in attendance.
Stateside Entries
THE TOXIC AVENGER, the long-awaited reboot of the 1984 Troma cult classic, will have its UK premiere at this year’s FrightFest.
Other Stateside offerings include Cronenberg-esque corporate satire KOMBUCHA; the World premiere of DW Medoff’s YOUR HOST in which Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley returns to the horror genre; dressed-to-kill chiller THE MANNEQUIN; uber twisted revenge tale IN A COLD VEIN, COVER, in which stamp collecting has never been so deadly; unpredictable slasher thriller THE ONLY ONES; A BLIND BARGAIN in which director Paul Bunnell reimagines the classic shocker; PORTAL TO HELL, where demons and dilemmas combine in an offbeat horror comedy; THE OTHER PEOPLE, a stylish and deeply disquieting suspense thriller; and from Will Canon, director of the FrightFest 2015 hit Demonic, presented by James Wan, comes THE CONFESSION, a haunting twist on the story of the Pied Piper set in rural Texas.
This year’s three Discovery strands are as bold and bone-chilling as ever, showcasing emerging and established voices from across the world. Plus, the US leads the way this year with 23 entries in FrightFest’s three Discovery strands. Titles include BORDERLINE with Samara Weaving, star of the FrightFest sensation Ready Or Not back for another murderous melee; Patrick Rea’s serial killer clown spree SUPER HAPPY FUN CLOWN; THE HAUNTED FOREST, Keith Boynton’s bloody humorous scare-fest; and THE ARBORIST in which director Andrew Mudge takes us on a folk horror journey into the dark unknown.
Then, there’s Seth Daly’s stunning mystical home invasion feature film debut, THE ROWS; Mercedes Bryce Morgan’s gripping sex and lies thriller BONE LAKE; WHAT SHE DOESN’T KNOW, a serial killer thriller co-written by Terry Castle, daughter of the legendary showman William Castle; and the McManus Brothers’ are poised for a breakthrough with REDUX REDUX, their genre-bending sci-fi horror about a grieving mother searching for a reality where her murdered daughter is still alive.
COGNAITIVE, a smart sci-fi thriller taking on the ever-growing job-stealing concern of AI, suburban monster horror HOLD THE FORT, pre-teen fear fable MARSHMALLOW, NIGHT OF VIOLENCE, Illya Konstantin’s anti-corporation office invasion horror,
More World Premieres
Plus, there are World premieres for Gabriel Carrer’s giallo-tinged revenge shocker DEATH CYCLE ,Matt Stuertz’swildly-imaginative body horror HUMAN, claw-chiller DON’T LET THE CAT OUT,from director Tim Cruz, PIG HILL, a punk rock fever dream of a shocker, adapted from the Nancy Williams novel, BLOOD SHINE, a new cinematic dimension in sadistic ritualism, NOSEEUMS where Get Out meets Candyman in an impressive feature debut by Raven Carter, PARASOMNIA, James Ross’ powerful shocker which blurs the vulnerable lines between dream and nightmare, and FIVE, whereFrightFest is delighted to welcome back Dani Barker, last here with her spectacular tour-de-force performance in Follow Her. This time she’s returning as director, co-writer and actor in a horror comedy destined for cult status.
There are also World premieres for Chris Marrs Piliero’s APPOFENIACS,which horrifyingly portrays how easily deepfake technology can be weaponised, Jeffrey Primm’s slick and smart whodunnit horror 213 BONES, Vatanyu Ingkaviat’s eerily explosive TOMB WATCHER; and THE RED MASK, a twisted love letter to the stalk and slash genre.
UK Offerings at FrightFest 2025
From the UK we have BAMBI: THE RECKONING, a powerful and gory retelling of the famous 1923 novel and beloved 1942 Walt Disney classic, and cerebral thriller BLOCKHEAD, the first narrative feature from Matt Harlock, the director behind the award-winning documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story.
The main screen also plays host to British entry ODYSSEY, Gerard Johnson’s wild, neon-soaked ride through London’s seedy underbelly.
Then there are the Brit upstarts whose films comprise the ‘First Blood’ strand. This year there are four World premiere entries: HE KILLS AT NIGHT, Tom Pickering’s rollercoaster of a horror thriller; THE CARETAKER, Luke Tedder’s character-driven mystery thriller; HEALING ANDY,Villablanca’s horror comedy found footage film entirely shot on an iPhone; and THE HAUNTING AT JACK THE RIPPER’S HOUSE, Natasha Tosini and Stephen Staley’s harrowing ghost-story as YouTubers are trapped in the renowned serial killer’s home.
Films From Around The World
From Australia, FrightFest welcome back Alice Maio Mackay who brings THE SERPENT’S SKIN, her terrifying and tender exploration of love, gender identity and personal growth. Also, from down under is Parish Malfitano’s SALT ALONG THE TONGUE, a uniquely different horror, mixing witchery, spirit possession and exorcism with sheer cinematic poetry.
From Canada we have the World premiere of SICK PUPPY, Jay Reid’s unflinching portrait of a serial killing married couple, along with Ava Maria Safai’s FOREIGNER which explores the terrifying cost of assimilation, and the haunting power of an identity denied. Then, from New Zealand is the International premiere of flesh-eating THE WEED EATERS.
From Europe we have the Norwegian entry ABOVE THE KNEE. Viljar Bøe, the director of the quirky FrightFest entry Good Boy, returns with an equally provocative story about a man suffering from Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID). Another mental condition, agoraphobia, forms the plot for Spanish director Juan Albarracín’s EL INSTINTO / INSTINCT. There there’s the world premiere of BAMBOO REVENGE, where natural born killing takes on a whole new meaning, and FLUSH, from France, a thrillingly comedic plunge into shitty depths.
And, of course, there’s Toshiaki Toyoda’s TRANSCENDING DIMENSIONS, a violent, surreal fantasy that transcends anything you’ve ever seen before.
Horror Documentaries
Iconic personalities are the subject of this year’s documentaries. In CAPTURED SOULS: IN CONVERSATION WITH GRAHAM HUMPHREYS, where director Chris Collier explores the life and legacy of the UK’s most iconic horror illustrator. In WHERE IS JUAN MOCTEZUMA? Alaric S. Rocha’s fun mockumentary unravels the mysterious disappearance of legendary 1970s Mexican horror film auteur Juan F. Moctezuma.
Another infamous personality was Andy Milligan, a pioneer of avant-garde theatre a trailblazer of early Queer cinema, and one of the most divisive talents in exploitation/horror history. Now in THE DEGENERATE: THE LIFE & FILMS OF ANDY MILLIGAN the truth can be told about ‘The Fassbinder of 42nd Street’.
Dare you venture into the ‘time warp’? What is the secret behind the success of The Rocky Horror Picture Show? In the year of its 50th Anniversary, Andreas Zerr’s SANE INSIDE INSANITY: THE ROCKY HORROR PHENOMENON charts it all, from humble two-page script written in crayon and Off West End smash hit to flop film adaptation and global Midnight Movie cult success. With fantastic archive footage, new key cast interviews and a wealth of trivia information, this is the ultimate chronicle about the Queen Mother of B movie musicals.
Plus, FrightFest will screen the eye-opening A SERBIAN DOCUMENTARY about THAT controversial film.
Animation
FrightFest will also screen two pieces of genre animation. The first, from Latvia is the UK premiere of DOG OF GOD, the historical depiction of the most famous werewolf trial in Northern Europe. Be prepared for an orgy of werewolves, sexual raves, witches and wizards.
The second is the Korean film, GILL, from director Jae-huun Ahn. In GILL, Gon was on the verge of death when suddenly, gills started to grow and he could breathe again. Kang Ha and his grandpa rescue Gon, and together they become an odd family.
The FrightFest 2025 guest line-up and full details for the Short Film Showcases and other events will be revealed soon.
Full Festival Passes go on sale at noon on July 12, 2025. FrightFest Day Passes and Single tickets go on sale at noon on July 19, 2025. Learn more on the festival website.
Categorized: News
