If you’re a writer, your biggest fear is usually a blank page or a laptop battery dying at a Starbucks. But for Rian Burman, the “hero” of the new horror-comedy I Know Exactly How You Die, the stakes are a little more… stabby.
The film is set to make its World Premiere at the Dances With Films NYC festival on Saturday, January 17, 2026. If you want to see a meta-slasher that turns writer’s block into a literal bloodbath, head down to the Regal Union Square at 9:15 PM.
The Plot: Fiction is a Real Pain
Rushabh Patel stars as Rian Burman, a hack horror novelist who is desperate for a hit. He checks into a sketchy, remote motel (Mistake #1) to finish his latest book about a woman named Katie who a sadistic stalker is hunting.
The Twist: As Rian types, reality starts to glitch. Everything he writes begins to happen in real life. The “real” Katie is actually staying at the same motel. And she is being hunted by a deranged ex-mailman (played with creepy perfection by James Preston Rogers). Soon, Rian realizes he isn’t just writing a book; he’s accidentally architecting a massacre.
It’s basically Stranger than Fiction if Emma Thompson tried to murder Will Ferrell with a machete.
Why You Should Care
Directed by Alexandra Spieth and written by Mike Corey, this flick is already generating buzz as the “Midnight Movie” to watch this year. It’s a clever, self-aware riff on slasher tropes that asks the ultimate creator question: Are we responsible for the monsters we invent? The movie is sharp, funny, and surprisingly tense.
Rushabh Patel isn’t just the lead, but the producer who helped bring this nightmare to life.
Catch the Premiere
On January 17, 2026, head to Dances with Film at Regal Union Square, NYC. Tickets are available now through the Dances With Films website.
Pro-tip: If you see a guy in a mailman uniform at the premiere, maybe don’t ask him for your mail.
