If your January goals usually involve hitting the gym or eating more fiber, count yourself lucky. Scatena & Rosner Films has announced the North American release of director Nick Leisure’s chilling new holiday horror thriller, New Year’s Absolution, arriving July 14 on VOD and Digital.
Serving up a sinister dose of “Christmas in July” counter-programming, the film poses a terrifying question: What if your New Year’s resolution wasn’t to improve your life—but to end someone else’s?
Secret Santa, But Make It Lethal
The plot follows a tight-knit group of long-time friends gathering for their annual New Year’s Eve tradition: exchanging anonymous resolutions meant to inspire excitement and positive change.
Standard stuff, right? Except this year, someone slips a dark, handwritten curveball into the mix: “Kill Someone.” When the prompt falls into the hands of Jacob, a chronically stressed police officer, he naturally skips “party game paranoia” and goes straight to “this is an active threat on my life.” What follows is a brutal domino effect of tragic misunderstandings, escalating tensions, desperate cover-ups, and an altogether terrible head count. As deeply buried secrets are dragged into the light, the festive champagne toast descends into a chaotic, bloody nightmare.
“Nick Leisure takes a familiar New Year’s tradition and transforms it into a tense, unpredictable thriller where paranoia takes hold, trust quickly breaks down, and no one feels safe,” says Zack Stampone, Head of Acquisitions at Scatena & Rosner Films.
The Guest List
The countdown to chaos features a sharp ensemble cast tasked with surviving midnight, including Michael Copon (One Tree Hill), Josh Gilmer, Joel Brady (Men in Black 3), Rafael Siegel, Shala White, Victorya Brandart, Siddalee Diaz, and Lamondo Hill II.
Penning the holiday from hell is screenwriter Damion Stephens, with Justin Nesbitt producing, and Adam Secondo alongside Russ Wyluda serving as executive producers.
Where to Watch
Forget waiting until December 31 for fireworks. You can watch this friend group completely implode on July 14 across all major digital platforms. Just remember to keep your resolutions to yourself this year.
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