HANG (U.K., 2026)
Official synopsis
On a cold dark night the witch Hawisia is hung to death by the evil witch hunter Western. Young Arabella, daughter of the Vicar, watches on. Twenty years later, the Vicar forces Arabella to marry Western. Arabella finds out that she is pregnant by another man and must seek help from the witches of the woods, else Western will surely hang her too. There she finds that Hawisia has survived all of these years. In return for the abortion, Arabella makes a deadly deal with Hawisia. Hawisia is now able to conjure a tortured spirit from the past . . . with deadly consequences.
Review
London Independent Pictures’ Hang is a chilling period horror film that possesses many fine qualities and reasons to seek it out. Chloe Adlerstein delivers a top-notch performance as Vicar’s daughter Arabella, as does Jade Asha — who also wrote the screenplay — as the witch Hawisia. Without giving too much away, the two stars get plenty of room to stretch as their characters undergo startling changes. The supporting players also give impressive performances, including Stephen Chapman as the conflicted Vicar and Laurence Saunders as a sadistic witchfinder. Director Jonny Finnis helms the film wonderfully, pacing the proceedings well and showing a keen eye for framing. Aficionados of period witchcraft shockers will find plenty more to enjoy in this fine-looking production, from the impressive period costumes and production values to Finnis’s fine cinematography and of course to the eerie supernatural proceedings.
ROAD KILL (U.K., 2024)
Official synopsis
A car, a driver, a lone hitchhiker, two secrets, and a journey that can only end in death.
Review
Writer/director/editor/sound designer Kieran Johnston wrings maximum mystery and tension out of his largely single-setting feature Road Kill. A driver (Martin W Payne) offers a hitchhiker (Peter Tilley) a ride. Unusual events escalate, leading to a highly satisfying climax. The majority of the film is set inside a car and was shot across a single night as Johnston and his cast members drove from Milton Keynes to Southend-on-Sea. Mostly a two-hander, the film relies heavily on the performances of its two leads, and Payne and Tilley — both boasting impressive resumes in the U.K. independent fear-fare cinema scene — prove marvelously up to the task. Devotees of psycho-killer cinema, road horror, and well-crafted indie fright fare will want to put Road Kill on their need-to-see lists.
Hang and Road Kill screened at Romford Horror Festival, which took place February 19–22 in Romford, U.K.
