Horror streaming service Shudder have announced their line-up of original
and exclusive horror movies for summer 2021. The roster is headlined by
The Amusement Park, the late George A. Romero's previously lost film, recently
rediscovered and restored.
Check out all the details below.
Caveat - June 3rd
Lone drifter Isaac accepts a job to look after his landlord's niece, Olga,
for a few days in an isolated house on a remote island. It seems like easy
money, but there’s a catch: he must wear a leather harness and chain that
restricts his movements to certain rooms. Once Olga's uncle Barrett leaves
the two of them alone, a game of cat and mouse ensues as Olga displays
increasingly erratic behaviour as a trapped Isaac makes a series of horrific
discoveries in the house. Directed by Damien Mc Carthy. Starring
Jonathan French, Leila Sykes and Ben Caplan.
The Amusement Park - June 8th
Recently discovered and restored 46 years after its completion by the
George A. Romero Foundation and produced by Suzanne Desrocher-Romero,
The Amusement Park stars Martin’s Lincoln Maazel as an elderly man who finds himself disoriented
and increasingly isolated as the pains, tragedies and humiliations of aging
in America are manifested through roller coasters and chaotic crowds.
Commissioned by the Lutheran Society, the film is perhaps Romero’s wildest
and most imaginative movie, an allegory about the nightmarish realities of
growing older, and is an alluring snapshot of the filmmaker's early artistic
capacity and style and would go on to inform his ensuing filmography. The
“lost” film was restored in 4k by IndieCollect in New York City.
Possessor - June 10th
From the visionary mind of Brandon Cronenberg (Antiviral), Possessor is a game-changing sci-fi thriller about elite,
corporate assassin Tasya Vos. Using brain-implant technology, Vos takes
control of other people’s bodies to execute high profile targets. As she
sinks deeper into her latest assignment, Vos becomes trapped inside a mind
that threatens to obliterate her. Starring
Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence
Middleton, Sean Bean
and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Superdeep - June 17th
The Kola Superdeep borehole is the largest Russian secret facility. In
1984, at the depth of more than seven miles below the surface, unexplained
sounds were recorded, resembling the screams and moans of numerous people.
Since these events, the object has been closed. A small research team of
scientists and military personnel go down below the surface to find the
secret hidden these many decades. What they discover will pose the greatest
threat humanity has ever faced. Directed by Arseniy Sukhin. Starring
Milena Radulovic, Sergey Ivanyuk, Nikolay Kovbas, Kirill Kovbas and
Nikita Dyuvbanov.
An Unquiet Grave - June 24th
A year after losing his wife in a car crash, Jamie convinces her sister,
Ava, to return with him to the site of the accident and help him perform a
strange ritual. But as the night wears on, it becomes clear that he has
darker intentions. An Unquiet Grave is an exploration of
grief, and the harm we cause when we don’t take responsibility for our own
healing. Directed by Terrence Krey. Starring Jacon A. Ware and
Christine Nyland, who also co-wrote the film.
Vicious Fun - June 29th
Joel, a caustic 1980’s film critic for a national horror magazine, finds
himself unwittingly trapped in a self-help group for serial killers. With no
other choice, Joel attempts to blend in with his homicidal surroundings or
risk becoming the next victim. Directed by Cody Calahan. Starring
Evan Marsh, Amber Goldfarb, Ari Millen, Julian Richings, Robert Maillet,
Sean Baek, David Koechner, Alexa Rose Steele, Mark Gibson, Kristopher
Brown
and John Fray.
Son - July 8th
After a mysterious group breaks into Laura’s home and attempts to abduct
her eight-year-old son, David, the two of them flee town in search of
safety. But soon after the failed kidnapping, David becomes extremely ill,
suffering from increasing psychosis and convulsions. Following her maternal
instincts, Laura commits unspeakable acts to keep him alive, but soon she
must decide how far she is willing to go to save her son. Directed by
Ivan Kavanagh. Starring Andi Matichak, Emile Hirsch and
Luke David Blumm.
The Toll - July 15th
When a young woman and her rideshare driver break down on a dark forest
road, each sees the other as a threat. When strange phenomena begin
occurring around them, they gradually realize they've become trapped in the
world of a terrifying supernatural being: The Toll Man. Directed by
Michael Nader. Starring
Jordan Hayes, Max Topplin, James McGowan and
Rosemary Dunsmore.
Kandisha - July 22nd
It is summer break and best friends Amélie, Bintou and Morjana hang
together with other neighborhood teens. Nightly, they have fun sharing scary
stories and urban legends. But when Amélie is assaulted by her ex, she
remembers the story of Kandisha, a powerful and vengeful demon. Afraid and
upset, Amélie summons her. The next day, her ex is found dead. The legend is
true and now Kandisha is on a killing spree and it’s up to the three girls
to break the curse. Directed by Inside and
Livid duo Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo.
Starring Mathilde Lamusse, Samarcande Saadi and
Suzy Bemba.
The Boy Behind the Door - July 29th
A night of unimaginable terror awaits twelve-year-old Bobby and his best
friend, Kevin, when they are abducted on their way home from school.
Managing to escape his confines, Bobby navigates the dark halls, praying his
presence goes unnoticed as he avoids his captor at every turn. Even worse is
the arrival of another stranger, whose mysterious arrangement with the
kidnapper may spell certain doom for Kevin. With no means of calling for
help and miles of dark country in every direction, Bobby embarks on a rescue
mission, determined to get himself and Kevin out alive… or die trying.
Directed by Justin Powell and David Charbonier, who also
directed this year’s The Djinn. Starring
Lonnie Chavis, Ezra Dewey, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Scott Michael
Foster
and Micah Hauptman.
Teddy - August 5th
Twentysomething Teddy lives in a foster home and works as a temp in a
massage parlour. Rebecca, his girlfriend, will soon graduate. A scorching
hot summer begins. But Teddy is scratched by a beast in the woods: the wolf
that local angry farmers have been hunting for months. As weeks go by,
animal impulses soon start to overcome the young man. Directed by
Ludovic Boukherma and Zoran Boukherma. Starring
Anthony Bajon, Ludovic Torrent, Christine Gautier, Noémie Lvovsky,
Guillaume Mattera, Jean-Paul Fabre, Alexis Orlandini, Gérard Pau
and Jean-Michel Ricart.
Bleed With Me - August 10th
Rowan, a vulnerable outsider, is thrilled when the seemingly perfect Emily
invites her on a winter getaway to an isolated cabin in the woods. Trust
soon turns to paranoia when Rowan wakes up with mysterious incisions on her
arm. Haunted by dream-like visions, Rowan starts to suspect that her friend
is drugging her and stealing her blood. She’s paralyzed by the fear of
losing Emily, but she must fight back before she loses her mind.
Bleed With Me is a psychological horror that juxtaposes
tenderness and violence in an investigation of female intimacy and dangerous
codependency. Directed by Amelia Moses. Starring
Lee Marshall, Lauren Beatty and Aris Tyros.
Jakob's Wife - August 19th
Anne is in her late 50s and feels like her life and marriage have been
shrinking over the past 30 years. Through a chance encounter with a
stranger, she discovers a new sense of power and an appetite to live bigger
and bolder than before. However, these changes come with a toll on her
marriage and a heavy body count. Directed by Travis Stevens (Girl on the Third Floor). Starring horror icons Barbara Crampton (You’re Next), Larry Fessenden (The Dead Don’t Die),
Nyisha Bell, Mark Kelly, Sarah Lind, Robert Rusler, Bonnie Aarons and
Phil Brooks (aka CM Punk).