SMOTHER (HEIMSUCHUNG, Austria, 2023)
Synopsis
Recovering alcoholic Michi (Cornelia Ivancan) retreats to her estranged father’s isolated countryside house with her eight-year-old daughter Hanna (Lola Herbst), hoping to mend the bond shattered after a drunk-driving accident. But the quiet refuge quickly turns hostile, as long-buried memories surface, and whispers of Michi’s mother — who died by suicide in the house — begin to seep into every room.
Review
Writer/director Achmed Abdel-Salam’s Smother is a harrowing supernatural exploration of generational trauma. A constant sense of dread hangs over the proceedings as the film seeks to cause increasing unease with viewers rather than merely settling for easy jump scares. Ivancan heads up a strong cast with a superb performance as troubled recovering alcoholic Michi who can’t seem to gain the trust of her daughter, who she injured in a drunk driving accident, and her husband Alex (Lukas Turtur). Abdel-Salam paces the film well, dispensing information about Michi’s past and her relationship with her deceased mother while building suspense about whether her mother may be haunting the family home. Strongly recommended for fear-fare aficionados who appreciate solid drama along with the chills.
Smother debuted February 27, 2026 on IndiePix Unlimited on Amazon Channels.
WETIKO (Mexico, 2025)
Synopsis
Deep in the dense jungles of the Yucatan, where the air hums and the ground seems alive, WETIKO follows Aapo, a young Maya man trying to survive the modern hustle without losing his roots. When he takes a quick-cash job for his family-owned pet store delivering hallucinogenic bufo toads to a remote jungle ceremony, it feels like an easy score. One trip in, one trip out. What begins as a promise of transcendence inside a shady eco-village quickly reveals itself as something far more dangerous. As paranoia spikes and alliances collapse, Aapo . . . hunted, high and unraveling . . . must choose whether to become another casualty — or break the cycle before the jungle swallows him whole.
Review
Although dealing in psychedelic fantasy rather than straight horror, writer/director Kerry Mondragón’s Wetiko offers up plenty of genre-film trippiness for viewers looking for something decidedly different. Mondragón tackles cultural appropriation in this tale of young Mayan man Aapo (Juan Daniel García Treviño) and how his journey to deliver toads for a ritual in the jungle leads to a highly unexpected spiritual journey. Cinematographer Carlos Gerardo García’s work on 16mm film is captivating. Wetiko provides plenty of food for thought along with a good deal of offbeat entertainment.
Wetiko opened at numerous Alamo Drafthouse cinemas beginning March 2, 2026.
