By MICHAEL GINGOLD
The combination of psychological and visceral horror is coming later this year.
Variety reports that Dark Sky Films has picked up all North American rights to BLOOD SHINE, and will release it on a date to be announced in 2026. The new film from writer/directors Emily Bennett (who also stars) and Justin Brooks (who served as DP as well), who previously made the acclaimed ALONE WITH YOU, it additionally features David Call (DEPRAVED), Brendan Sexton III, Toby Poser (MOTHER OF FLIES) and Larry Fessenden (who discusses his role here). Fessenden film regular Brian Spears created the makeup effects, and the visual effects were handled by Trey Lindsey of the Adams Family films. According to the official synopsis, Bennett plays “Clara, a devout zealot who worships the light through solitary, sacred rituals in upstate New York. Call plays Brighton West, a troubled horror filmmaker who retreats upstate to complete his screenplay, only to encounter Clara and become entangled in her increasingly extreme spiritual practices. Convinced that her sadistic ceremonies will transform him into a god, Clara draws Brighton into a hallucinatory descent into faith, flesh, and the sublime.”
“BLOOD SHINE is a film that balances an art-house sensibility with extremely visceral horror, and Dark Sky Films immediately understood that,” say Bennett and Brooks. “We’re incredibly excited to partner with them to unleash this bloody folk horror film to worldwide audiences.”
“We are thrilled to bring BLOOD SHINE to North American audiences,” says Dark Sky EVP Greg Newman. “Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks have created a daring and visually arresting film that expands the boundaries of folk horror and really delivers.”
