‘Custom’ Review: ‘Hellraiser’ Meets ‘Videodrome’ In Erotic New Horror Film [Popcorn Frights 2025]
Sex and horror seemingly go together like peanut butter and jelly. After all, the slashers of the 1980s were defined by the slaughter of fornicating teens. But even with that in mind, sex in horror, overall, is quite stifled and conservative. Enter Tiago Teixeira’s new film, Custom, which played as part of the 2025 Popcorn Frights Film Festival. Here, Teixeria attempts to push the boundaries of sex on screen and crafts an unsettling lovechild of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome.
Jasper (Rowan Polonski) and Harriet (Abigail Hardingham) are a couple who make and sell sex videos to help pay the bills as they try to make a living off their art. Whatever a client wants, they’ll do, from more straightforward sex scenes to Harriet dressing as a dominatrix (complete with full-body latex) and humiliating Jasper on camera. Sex has become routine, a job. There’s no more passion, only business, as Harriet gives intensive notes on each video and Jasper craves closeness like they once had.
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Then, one day, Jasper is presented with a new opportunity by Bishop, who helps source clients and circulate their content. This opportunity comes with a price tag of $10,000 and a few stipulations, like they have to wear red masks and film in particular ways. But $10,000 is a lot of money, and they’ve done weirder things for some cash. So they don their strange red ski masks and settle in front of the camera. Little do they know they’re participating in something much larger and stranger than they could’ve ever anticipated.
It’s a fascinating take on cosmic horror in the digital era, where sex work is easier than ever with platforms like OnlyFans. However, just because it’s easier doesn’t mean it’s any less dangerous. Teixeria is examining the less-glamorous side of sex work through a deliciously freaky package that feels more like a chaotic, liminal nightmare steeped in dark, erotic energy than a cohesive narrative. Basically, this is an atmosphere-heavy film that focuses more on getting under your skin than delivering easy answers to the point that parts of the story never really coalesce into something satisfying. But if you’re ready to embark on a sensory experience that feels like something birthed from the depths of Clive Barker’s mind, then you’ll definitely enjoy the ride.
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Polonski and Hardingham are exceptional here as a couple who have fallen out of love and lust with each other. They’re just trying to survive and scrape by while desperate to connect with their creativity—and each other—again. Polonski embodies that through paranoia, obsession, and a desire to find truth. Hardingham goes the opposite direction while also trying to maintain a strong head on her shoulders in the face of financial hardship. It’s a familiar dynamic brought to life beautifully by two actors who are put through the wringer throughout the film’s short runtime.
While Custom is chock-full of unsettling vibes and isn’t afraid of a sex scene, the film is still restrained when it comes to sexuality. There’s a desire to be transgressive here as Jasper and Harriet fornicate while she tends to a gaping wound on Jasper’s chest. But, even when you can feel the film getting to its weirdest and most erotic, there’s still an air of restraint around everything, as if the team is holding back out of fear of not being taken seriously. And yet, that hesitation holds this film back from its gnarly, bizarre potential.
If Custom is a sign of things to come, then horror might just be getting steamier than anything we’ve ever seen before. Between this and Alex Phillips’ upcoming Anything That Moves, genre cinema is careening further into sin, and I, for one, cannot wait. While Custom could’ve gone further, it’s still an exciting step towards a more transgressive genre cinema. It’s a film that’s never afraid to get weird and a little messy, and hopefully Teixeria keeps pushing boundaries with his work.
Custom played as part of the 2025 Popcorn Frights Film Festival. It’s now available to rent or purchase on VOD.
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Custom
Summary
While Custom could’ve gone further, it’s still an exciting step towards a more transgressive genre cinema.
Categorized: Reviews
