Naturally we here at The Scariest Things are intrigued by pretty much every horror, horror-adjacent, and related genre film that SXSW programs, but here we present previews of 7 features that greatly capture our attention for this year’s edition of the festival. Descriptions are from the fest’s official website — where you can find out more information about these tantalizing titles and all of the other fright-fare and chiller and thriller offerings — or from official press information.
The Astronaut
Director: Jess Varley
After returning from her first space mission, astronaut Sam Walker is placed under NASA’s care at a high security house for rehabilitation and medical testing. However, when disturbing occurrences begin happening around the property, she fears that something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth.
Clown in a Cornfield
Director: Eli Craig
CAST: Katie Douglas, Carson MacCormac, Aaron Abrams, Will Sasso, Kevin Durand
SYNOPSIS: Adapted to a screenplay by Carter Blanchard and Craig, CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD follows Quinn and her father, who have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play.
RUN TIME: 96 min
RATING: R
GENRE: Horror
DISTRIBUTOR: RLJE Films / Shudder
Descendent
Director: Peter Cilella
Set in present-day Los Angeles, Descendent follows Sean Bruner, an elementary school security guard grappling with past trauma while preparing for the birth of his first child with his wife, Andrea. Haunted by his mother’s death in childbirth and his father’s suicide, Sean fears he’s destined to fail. After a beam of light appears in the sky during a late-night shift, Sean wakes in the hospital with an inexplicable talent for vivid, unsettling drawings of extraterrestrials and desert landscapes. As his visions blur the line between dreams and reality, Sean’s grip on sanity unravels. With time running out, he must confront his fears to escape his family’s tragic legacy.
Good Boy
Director: Ben Leonberg
Good Boy started with a simple high concept: a haunted house film, where the main character is the family dog–and the only one who can see the forces that haunt us. Our canine hero, Indy, finds himself on a new adventure with his human—and best friend—Todd, leaving city life for a long-vacant family home in the country. After moving in, Indy is immediately vexed by empty corners, tracks an invisible presence, perceives phantasmagoric warnings from a long-dead dog, and is haunted by visions of the previous occupant’s grim death. When Todd begins succumbing to the dark forces swirling around the house, Indy must battle a malevolence intent on dragging his beloved Todd into the afterlife!
The Surrender
Director: Julia Max
A fraught mother-daughter relationship is put to a terrifying test when the family patriarch dies, and the grieving mother hires a mysterious stranger to bring her husband back from the dead. As the bizarre and brutal resurrection spirals out of control, both women must confront their differences as they fight for their lives – and for each other.
Together
Director: Michael Shanks
Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.
Touch Me
Director: Addison Heimann
After a series of unfortunate events leaves their house uninhabitable and reeking of poo, two co-dependent friends, Joey and Craig, find themselves homeless and out of options. That’s when Joey’s mysterious ex resurfaces. He wants her back. Along with being hot, Brian also happens to be an alien whose touch makes anxiety and depression disappear. The two venture to his compound for the weekend with the hope of being healed from past traumas, but underneath Brian’s veneer of healing is a sinister plot filled with murder, mayhem, and blood. ‘Touch Me’ is a psychosexual horror-comedy about the nature of co-dependent friendships and how far we are willing to go for a slice of happiness.
And here’s a bonus non-horror genre film that has our attention:
O’Dessa
Director: Geremy Jasper
WRITER: Geremy Jasper
CAST: Sadie Sink, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Murray Bartlett, Regina Hall
SYNOPSIS: Set in a post-apocalyptic future, O’Dessa is an original rock opera about a farm girl on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom. Her journey leads her to a strange and dangerous city where she meets her one true love – but in order to save his soul, she must put the power of destiny and song to the ultimate test.
RUN TIME: 106 minutes
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Drama, Musical
DISTRIBUTOR: Searchlight Pictures