Their new indie horror film, Turn Back, is coming out of the UK and making waves in the genre before it has even been made, raising nearly $225,000 on Kickstarter in record time.
Told in reverse, Turn Back, directed by Riyad Barmania, the film is from Relentless Films and is based on the infamous “Black Shuck” legend, born in the 12th century, from the east of England. The legendary surrounds a tale of a ghostly demonic hound that roamed the Norfolk countryside and became known as an ‘omen of death’ to local residents. If you hear it’s howl, so it was said, whatever you do, close your eyes.
This isn’t your standard demon horror film. Like Memento and Irreversible, it will be told in reverse chronological order, with each jump backward in time revealing new information, making for a distinctive take on the horror genre.
Director Riyad Barmania says of the crowdfund’s success: “The response is just unbelievable. We’ve set ourselves an amazing challenge with a brilliant and exciting story unlike anything you will have seen before. I can’t wait to share it with horror fans around the world.”
Co-writer and producer Stuart Ashen adds: “I’ve been a huge fan of horror films for decades, and this is a true passion project of mine. Independent films like this just don’t happen unless we make them happen, so seeing the enthusiasm of horror fans for Turn Back has been incredible and truly humbling.”
Relentless Films turned to the direct-to-consumer model due to the current crisis in the UK film industry, with producer Linton Davies explaining: “With over 80% of the UK industry out of work and precisely no one funding film in the current environment, British creativity is facing a fight to survive. Relentless Films’ mission is to create unique genre films that are often overlooked in the UK film industry. It is so important we continue to create homegrown stories that resonate with audiences. We felt we had no other option but to find a way, so we did!”
