As we mentioned in our first SXSW 2025 curtain raiser, pretty much every horror, horror-adjacent, and related genre film that SXSW programs has the attention of The Scariest Things staff members. This time, we present previews of 1 feature and 2 shorts that we have our eyes on for this year’s edition of the festival, along with a fun-sounding non-horror/thriller feature because we could all use some laughs to go along with the shocks and shudders. Descriptions are from official press information. Visit the fest’s official website for more information.
Odyssey
Director: Gerard Johnson
SYNOPSIS: Odyssey is a metaphysical thriller that draws on the occult and cult European horror as it explores contemporary societal issues of greed and capitalism, while also challenging the idea of traditional gender behaviors — mainly that “toxic masculinity” is not just for the boys. The film follows Natasha Flynn, a sharp-tongued, cutthroat London real estate agent hiding some very dark and desperate secrets. A woman in a male dominated world, Natasha soon realizes she’ll have to get blood on her hands to survive. As her seemingly glossy life unravels, she gets entangled with a pair of sinister loan sharks and what follows is a wild, neon-soaked ride through London’s seedy underbelly, ending in a bloody, chaotic showdown leaving bodies — and morals — shattered.
Odyssey is co-written and directed by Gerard Johnson (the cult hit Tony, Muscle), and stars Polly Maberly (Muscle), Mikael Persbrandt (Oscar winner In A Better World, Netflix’s “Sex Education”) and Guy Burnet (Oppenheimer). The film also features an intoxicating soundtrack by singer-songwriter and composer Matt Johnson, founding member and lead singer of the acclaimed English rock band, The The.
Horror shorts:
Video Barn
Director: Bianca Poletti
SYNOPSIS: Two outcasts who work at a small town’s local video store must solve the mysteries of the town’s dark past when one of them goes missing. Starring Grace Van Dien and Reina Hardesty, Bianca Poletti’s Video Barn pays homage to 80s surrealist films, blending dark humor, friendship, and the pull of the unknown to create a uniquely eerie horror short.
How Was Your Weekend?
Director: Cam Banfield
SYNOPSIS: It’s Monday morning in corporate America. The usual small talk begins — “How was your weekend?”— but what if that simple question unraveled everything? How was your weekend? blends dark comedy and surreal horror to explore the anxieties of office life and the unspoken rules that hold it together. Starring James Morosini (I Love My Dad) and Rachael Harris (Suits, The Hangover), the film taps into the unease of returning to office culture, the personas we adopt at work, and what happens when personal struggles seep into the professional world.
And here’s a bonus Midnighter non-horror genre film that sounds like a blast:
New Jack Fury
Director: Eli Craig
SYNOPSIS: Lanfia Wal’s debut feature is an outrageous, genre-bending narrative that follows Dylan Gamble, a straight-edged undercover police officer working to take down a powerful crime organization called the Styles Syndicate in the 80’s, as he tries to save his kidnapped girlfriend Tanisha.
