If your ideal horror movie features a decaying mansion, an audio recorder, and an unhealthy dose of generational trauma, you are in luck.
Henry Chaisson—the wonderfully twisted writer behind Antlers and Apple TV’s “Servant“—is officially making his feature directorial debut. He’s gearing up to serve us the gothic horror-thriller Recluse. Variety reports that mega-producer Steven Schneider has officially come on board as an executive producer via his acclaimed genre label, Spooky Pictures.
Along with the announcement, a chilling new look at the film has been released, setting the stage for its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next month.
The Art of the Audio Jump Scare
The narrative framework of Recluse sounds like a textbook recipe for a psychological breakdown. Joan (Sasha Frolova, The Empty Man) is a fiercely solitary audio engineer who spends her life hiding behind headphones. She’s our hero.
She receives a sudden, ominous phone call from her ailing father. He’s an acclaimed, reclusive artist who, according to the local rumor mill, spent his free time dabbling in the occult. Joan is forced to pack her bags and return to her family’s aggressively decaying country estate.
Once inside the crumbling walls, Joan begins unearthing a malevolent secret that has been gestating for decades. As the ambient noise turns sinister, she is forced to figure out if the terrifying phenomena around her are a direct result of her father’s occult misdeeds or if they are a result of her own troubled mind.
A Cast That Knows the Dark
To bring this claustrophobic nightmare to life, Chaisson has assembled an incredible line-up of genre staples. That includes Xander Berkeley (Candyman, The Walking Dead) and Toby Poser, the multi-talented force behind the indie witch masterpiece Hellbender. The supporting cast includes Mia Vallet (Believe), Kimball Farley, Frankie Seratch, Gillian Cooper, and Christine Nyland.
The Spooky Pictures Guarantee
Having Steven Schneider attach his name to a debut feature is essentially the horror equivalent of getting a Michelin star. Through his Spooky Pictures imprint, Schneider has built one of the most bulletproof resumes in modern cinema, spanning massive hits like Paranormal Activity, Watcher, Late Night with the Devil, Strange Darling, and the newly released Hokum.
Schneider is clearly thrilled about what Chaisson has cooked up, telling Variety:
“Recluse is pure nightmare fuel – blending chilling storytelling, striking visuals and haunting sound design to deliver a totally immersive horror experience. With this fearless and loud debut, Henry is emerging as the next great horror auteur.”
Keep your ears tuned for the buzz out of Tribeca next month. If you can’t make it to New York, rest assured that with the Spooky Pictures engine behind it, this sonic nightmare will be rattling your home speakers soon enough.
