How far would you go to keep your dying child alive? That harrowing question serves as the dark pulse behind the movie Child, a chilling psychological horror thriller directed by Academy Award-nominated director Cyrus Neshvad. Distributed by Cynefilms, this deeply unsettling feature is set to hauntingly captivate audiences when it officially arrives in UK cinemas this October.
Crossing Moral Lines with No Turning Back
The heart-wrenching plot centers on Anne and Greg, two desperate parents whose young son is rapidly running out of time. Driven by unconditional love and overwhelming panic, the couple becomes willing to sacrifice absolutely everything for one final, desperate chance at a cure. However, after crossing an unforgivable moral line, Anne and Greg find themselves trapped in a living nightmare. And every subsequent decision exacts an even higher, more monstrous price.
Acclaimed Debut Leaves Critics Spellbound
Child celebrated its World Premiere at the 2026 Raindance Film Festival, earning a prestigious nomination for the Discovery Award for Best Debut Feature. The film avoids cheap jump scares. Instead, it uses genre elements as a sharp lens to examine grief, desperation, and existential guilt.
Psychological Dread Grounded in Reality
The film features powerful performances from César Award winner Malik Zidi (Oxygen) and Brigitte Urhausen (Fils). Lydia Indjova, Anne Klein, and Dmytro Yaroshenko round out the cast.
Director Cyrus Neshvad explains that Child stems from a desire to craft an off-screen atmosphere where suspense tightens until a shocking final revelation completely reshapes the story.
The film CHILD was born from a dual artistic desire. First, the desire to explore a form of horror cinema built on off-screen tension, where the threat remains invisible yet omnipresent, and where suspense tightens until a final revelation reshapes the entire narrative. Then, the wish to reach this realm of terror through a deeply realistic framework, because horror is never more powerful than when it is rooted in psychological truth.
At the heart of the film lies the theme of guilt. The story questions how far one can go to save a loved one, and at what point this impulse—initially driven by love—transforms into a monstrous act from which there is no turning back.
By grounding the terror in authentic psychological truth, Child forces audiences to confront the terrifying moment when a noble act of love transforms into an irredeemable nightmare. Hug your kids and tell them that you love them before you head to the theater for the premiere of Child on October 2.
