By MICHAEL GINGOLD
The postapocalyptic horror film just finished shooting in Syracuse, NY.
Variety reports that young actress Milly Shapiro, who had a memorable turn in Ari Aster’s HEREDITARY, plays the title role in THE HALLOWARRIOR. It’s the feature filmmaking debut of writer/director Ben Sottak, who introduced the concept in the short SCAVENGER, and whose short MARTILLO (co-directed by Alejandra Parody) premiered at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival and won the Home Invasion Award at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Shannyn Sossamon, previously seen in THE ORDER, ONCE MISSED CALL and SINISTER 2, also stars in THE HALLOWARRIOR, along with Ajani Russell and AJ Bowen (YOU’RE NEXT, THE SACRAMENT). The synopsis, per Variety: “THE HALLOWARRIOR follows Pumpkin [Shapiro], the last girl on Earth and sole survivor of a humanity-ending plague, scavenging the wasteland for supplies on the eve of Halloween. Pumpkin’s lonely holiday ritual is interrupted by the arrival of a savage gang of raiders at her doorstep, led by the fearsome Thalia [Sossamon]. Outnumbered and armed with candy, wit and weapons, Pumpkin must ferociously fight back to survive the night.”
“This is a throwback to the crowd-pleasing genre films I grew up watching every Halloween,” Sottak tells the trade. “The movie is dripping with nostalgic fall atmosphere, cheer-inducing kills and a lovable ‘final girl’ played by the brilliant Milly Shapiro. I can’t wait for this movie to enter horror fans’ annual October viewing rotation for years to come.” Cinetic is handling North American rights to the film.
