By MICHAEL GINGOLD
New movies by Joe Lynch, Jennifer Reeder and others are part of the frightful lineup at this year’s event.
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival takes place June 7-18 in New York City, showcasing 109 features including a number in the fright genre. As usual, several of them make up the Midnight category:
- ONE NIGHT WITH ADELA (Spain)–World Premiere. After her night shift ends, Adela goes on a drug-fueled, violent rampage of furious revenge on those who ruined her in this remarkably paced, audacious debut. Directed and written by Hugo Ruiz. Produced by Roberto Valentín Carrera, Pedro Azón Ramón y Cajal, Israel Luengo Arana, Hugo Ruiz, Fausto Arias Figuerola-Ferretti, Tote Trenas. With Laura Galán (PIGGY), Gemma Nierga, Jimmy Barnatán, Rosalía Omil, Raudel Raul, Fernando Moraleda.
- PERPETRATOR (United States, France)–North American Premiere. Teenager Jonny gains supernatural abilities through a mystical transformation, just as girls from her new school go missing. Jonny takes the investigation into her own hands in this coming-of-age, feminist horror-noir. Directed and written by Jennifer Reeder. Produced by Derek Bishé, Gregory Chambet. With Kiah McKirnan, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Lowell, Melanie Liburd, Ireon Roach. A Shudder release.
- THE SEEDING (United States)–World Premiere. When a hiker gets lost in the desert, a gang of feral children propelled by haunting legacies traps him in a sadistic battle for survival with a frightening endgame. Directed and written by Barnaby Clay. Produced by Brian R. Etting. With Scott Haze, Kate Lyn Sheil.
- YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME (Australia)–World Premiere. During a rampaging storm, a shaken young woman arrives at a stranger’s door in an RV park seeking shelter. They both question motives and desires as things escalate to a deadly, bizarre showdown. Directed by Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell, written by Indianna Bell. Produced by Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell, Jordan Cowan, Christine Williams. With Jordan Cowan, Brendan Rock.
There are also a number of fear films in the Escape from Tribeca “psychotronic sidebar”:
- ADIPURUSH (India)–World Premiere. Reimagining the epic Indian poem “Ramayana,” the big-budgeted visual feast ADIPURUSH tells the tale of a prince on a mission to rescue his wife from a 10-headed demon overlord. Directed by Om Raut, written by Om Raut, Manoj Muntashir Shukla. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishna Kumar, Om Raut, Prasad Sutar, Rajesh Nair. With Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, Sunny Singh.
- FINAL CUT (France)–New York Premiere. In this clever and raucous “requel” of the Japanese cult hit ONE CUT OF THE DEAD, a French film crew hilariously struggles to pull off an ambitious, livestreamed, single-take filming of the alien zombie apocalypse. Directed and written by Michel Hazanavicius. Produced by Michel Hazanavicius, Alain de la Mata, Noémie Devide, Brahim Chioua, Vincent Maraval, John Penotti. With Bérénice Bejo, Romain Duris. A Kino Lorber release.
- SUITABLE FLESH (United States)–World Premiere. After murdering her young patient, a once-esteemed psychiatrist helplessly watches her life spiral into a nightmarish maelstrom of supernatural hysteria and gruesome deaths, all linked to a seemingly unstoppable ancient curse. Directed by Joe Lynch, written by Dennis Paoli. Produced by Barbara Crampton, Bob Portal, Joe Wicker, Inderpal Singh. With Heather Graham, Judah Lewis, Bruce Davison, Johnathon Schaech, Barbara Crampton, Jonah Ray.
This section will also include a screening of David Gregory’s Bruceploitation documentary ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE, along with a showing of the Bruce Lee classic ENTER THE DRAGON and a talk after the movie with co-star Angela Mao and producer Andre Morgan, with the Andersons Martial Arts Academy leading a performance and audience participation ceremony in honor of Lee’s passing 50 years ago.
. In the U.S. Narrative Competition:
- BAD THINGS (pictured above; United States)–World Premiere. A weekend getaway for a few girlfriends at a snowy resort becomes a psychological tailspin and bloody nightmare. Long-deceased guests and the space itself come to life in this haunting thriller. Directed and written by Stewart Thorndike. Produced by Lizzie Shapiro, Lexi Tannenholtz. With Gayle Rankin, Hari Nef, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Rad Pereira, Jared Abrahamson, Molly Ringwald.
In the Spotlight Narrative section:
- THE BLACKENING (United States)–U.S. Premiere. Based on the viral digital skit, THE BLACKENING tells the story of old friends who reunite in a cabin in the woods (where have we heard that before?). The fun weekend quickly becomes a fight to survive, and the only way to make it out is to figure out which friend is the Blackest of them all. Directed by Tim Story, written by Tracy Oliver, Dewayne Perkins. Produced by Tim Story, Tracy Oliver, E. Brian Dobbins, Marcei A. Brown, Jason Clark, Sharla Sumpter Bridgett. With Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Dewayne Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jay Pharoah, Yvonne Orji. A Lionsgate release.
Passes and ticket packages are currently available at the Tribeca Fest website, with single tickets going on sale May 2.
