British thriller Femme was also on the prize list.
The Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal has revealed the winners of its jury awards, with Canadian cyber thriller Red Rooms (Les Chambres Rouges) named best feature in the event’s Cheval Noir competition section.
Red Rooms also won the best screenplay prize for Quebec writer-director Pascal Plante, the best score award for Dominique Plante and one of the two outstanding performance awards for Juliette Gariépy.
The Cheval Noir best director award went to Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping for their UK thriller Femme, whose Nathan Stewart-Jarrett won the other outstanding performance award.
The Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal has revealed the winners of its jury awards, with Canadian cyber thriller Red Rooms (Les Chambres Rouges) named best feature in the event’s Cheval Noir competition section.
Red Rooms also won the best screenplay prize for Quebec writer-director Pascal Plante, the best score award for Dominique Plante and one of the two outstanding performance awards for Juliette Gariépy.
The Cheval Noir best director award went to Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping for their UK thriller Femme, whose Nathan Stewart-Jarrett won the other outstanding performance award.
- 7/31/2023
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
The Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal is more than halfway through its 27th edition, which is running from July 20th through August 9th – and over the weekend they unveiled their list of Fantasia Film Festival Awards winners, with major honors going to the likes of Red Rooms and Stay Online.
Our own reviewer Tyler Nichols gave Red Rooms a 9/10 “amazing” review (you can read it Here), so it makes sense to hear that the film racked up multiple awards, including Best Feature, Best Screenplay for Pascal Plante, Best Score for Dominique Plante, and Outstanding Performance for Juliette Gariépy. We haven’t had the chance to see Stay Online yet, but that movie did earn the Best First Feature award for director Yeva Strelnikova.
Red Rooms is about what happens when the case of a serial killer who streamed his murders in the “red rooms” of the Dark Web goes to trial,...
Our own reviewer Tyler Nichols gave Red Rooms a 9/10 “amazing” review (you can read it Here), so it makes sense to hear that the film racked up multiple awards, including Best Feature, Best Screenplay for Pascal Plante, Best Score for Dominique Plante, and Outstanding Performance for Juliette Gariépy. We haven’t had the chance to see Stay Online yet, but that movie did earn the Best First Feature award for director Yeva Strelnikova.
Red Rooms is about what happens when the case of a serial killer who streamed his murders in the “red rooms” of the Dark Web goes to trial,...
- 7/31/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Red Rooms won a leading three awards including Best Feature at the 27th annual Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, with the thriller Femme taking Best Director for Sam H. Freeman & Ng Choon Ping and Outstanding Performance for Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. See the full list of winners below.
“The ultimate effect a film can achieve is to implant a significant and lasting emotional memory,” the genre fest’s jury said in a statement. “The jury was unanimously convinced that [Red Rooms] masterfully accomplished that goal.”
In writer-director Pascal Plante’s thriller from Nemesis Films, the case of a serial killer who streamed his murders in the “red rooms” of the Dark Web goes to trial, and Kelly-Anne (Laurie Babin) is obsessed. She goes down a dark path to obtain the final piece of the case’s puzzle.
In Femme, after drag artist Jules (Stewart-Jarrett) sees his closeted assailant (George Mackay) at a gay sauna,...
“The ultimate effect a film can achieve is to implant a significant and lasting emotional memory,” the genre fest’s jury said in a statement. “The jury was unanimously convinced that [Red Rooms] masterfully accomplished that goal.”
In writer-director Pascal Plante’s thriller from Nemesis Films, the case of a serial killer who streamed his murders in the “red rooms” of the Dark Web goes to trial, and Kelly-Anne (Laurie Babin) is obsessed. She goes down a dark path to obtain the final piece of the case’s puzzle.
In Femme, after drag artist Jules (Stewart-Jarrett) sees his closeted assailant (George Mackay) at a gay sauna,...
- 7/31/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Blumhouse and K Period Media, the production company founded by Kimberly Steward, revealed their inaugural cohort of nine fellows selected to participate in the first annual Blumhouse and K Period Media Screamwriting Fellowship, the companies announced on Tuesday.
The program, created in partnership with the Sundance Institute, was established to provide support and mentorship to underrepresented emerging film and television writers aspiring to work in the horror genre.
The week-long intensive lab kicks off today in Los Angeles with the generous support of advisors Karen Joseph Adcock, Simon Barrett, Dwight Caines, Jacob Chase, Bridget Savage Cole, Mike Flanagan, Christine D’Souza Gelb, Alayna Glasthal, Josh Godfrey, Disney Hall, Walter Hamada, Cindy Holland, Danielle Krudy, Chris Landon, Nick Lazo, Keith Levine, Damon Lindelof, Crystal Liu, Grant Moninger, Ryan Murphy, Couper Samuelson, Rob Savage, Ryan Turek and Kevin Williamson.
Also Read:
‘Dead by Daylight’ Movie in the Works at Blumhouse, James Wan’s...
The program, created in partnership with the Sundance Institute, was established to provide support and mentorship to underrepresented emerging film and television writers aspiring to work in the horror genre.
The week-long intensive lab kicks off today in Los Angeles with the generous support of advisors Karen Joseph Adcock, Simon Barrett, Dwight Caines, Jacob Chase, Bridget Savage Cole, Mike Flanagan, Christine D’Souza Gelb, Alayna Glasthal, Josh Godfrey, Disney Hall, Walter Hamada, Cindy Holland, Danielle Krudy, Chris Landon, Nick Lazo, Keith Levine, Damon Lindelof, Crystal Liu, Grant Moninger, Ryan Murphy, Couper Samuelson, Rob Savage, Ryan Turek and Kevin Williamson.
Also Read:
‘Dead by Daylight’ Movie in the Works at Blumhouse, James Wan’s...
- 3/7/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
There are typically three destinations for a short horror film. Most of the time, they stay short and sweet. Another common outcome for these quick flicks is their joining others in compilation movies (also known as “frankenthologies”). As for the last and most fortunate fate, a short might be turned into something bigger.
There is a long history of horror shorts being made into full-length features. The Evil Dead, Saw, Mama, The Babadook and Lights Out are just some prime examples. And with Parker Finn‘s Smile (based on Laura Hasn’t Slept) continuing the tradition in theaters this weekend, now is a good time to check out other similar transformations.
Larry (Come Play)
In Jacob Chase’s effective short Larry, the attendant in a paid parking lot gets the scare of his life when he spots something ghastly one night. Paramount later gave Chase the opportunity to direct...
There is a long history of horror shorts being made into full-length features. The Evil Dead, Saw, Mama, The Babadook and Lights Out are just some prime examples. And with Parker Finn‘s Smile (based on Laura Hasn’t Slept) continuing the tradition in theaters this weekend, now is a good time to check out other similar transformations.
Larry (Come Play)
In Jacob Chase’s effective short Larry, the attendant in a paid parking lot gets the scare of his life when he spots something ghastly one night. Paramount later gave Chase the opportunity to direct...
- 9/27/2022
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Emma Roberts, John Gallagher Jr. and two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon will topline Spencer Squire’s first feature, Abandoned, which is also the first to be fully financed through the partnership between Vertical Entertainment and Three Point Capital.
The recently wrapped thriller written by Squire, Jessica Scott, and Erik Patterson follows a mother, father, and infant son as they move into a remote farmhouse, which harbors a dark, tragic history. As their home’s past is revealed, the mother’s fragility escalates to a state of psychosis that jeopardizes her own safety and that of her newborn son.
Roberts is producing with Robert Ogden Barnum, Eric Binns, and Byron Wetzel, with Neal Dodson, Andrew Gans, David Gendron, Neil Gobioff, Rich Goldberg, Peter Jarowey, Ali Jazayeri, Shawn Paonessa, Oliver Ridge, Zachary Quinto, Viviana Zarragoitia, Michael Reiser, Delos Chang,...
The recently wrapped thriller written by Squire, Jessica Scott, and Erik Patterson follows a mother, father, and infant son as they move into a remote farmhouse, which harbors a dark, tragic history. As their home’s past is revealed, the mother’s fragility escalates to a state of psychosis that jeopardizes her own safety and that of her newborn son.
Roberts is producing with Robert Ogden Barnum, Eric Binns, and Byron Wetzel, with Neal Dodson, Andrew Gans, David Gendron, Neil Gobioff, Rich Goldberg, Peter Jarowey, Ali Jazayeri, Shawn Paonessa, Oliver Ridge, Zachary Quinto, Viviana Zarragoitia, Michael Reiser, Delos Chang,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
"The Girl in the Woods", produced by CryptTV, is the new supernatural thriller TV series, directed by Krysten Ritter and Jacob Chase, starring Stefanie Scott, Misha Osherovich, Sofia Bryant, Will Yun Lee, Kylie Liya Page, Reed Diamond and Leonard Roberts, streaming October 21, 2021 on Peacock:
"...in the Pacific Northwest, 'Carrie' escapes from a bizarre, cult-like colony...
"...that guards the world from monsters...
"...hidden behind a secret door in the forest..."
Click the images to enlarge.... ...
"...in the Pacific Northwest, 'Carrie' escapes from a bizarre, cult-like colony...
"...that guards the world from monsters...
"...hidden behind a secret door in the forest..."
Click the images to enlarge.... ...
- 10/18/2021
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Exclusive: As production of Studiocanal and The Picture Company’s horror thriller Baghead begins, Deadline has learned that War Horse actor Jeremy Irvine, Top of the Lake Emmy nominee Peter Mullan, You actress Saffron Burrows, and Netflix Dark actress Julika Jenkins have joined the feature alongside previously announced Ruby Barker and Freya Allan.
Baghead is adapted from the festival fave short film of the same name and will be directed by Alberto Corredor who also directed the short. Christina Pamies and Bryce McGuire wrote the screenplay. Baghead follows the enigmatic Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for brief periods of time. People seek out the medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a high price to pay...
Baghead is adapted from the festival fave short film of the same name and will be directed by Alberto Corredor who also directed the short. Christina Pamies and Bryce McGuire wrote the screenplay. Baghead follows the enigmatic Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for brief periods of time. People seek out the medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a high price to pay...
- 10/13/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
"The Girl in the Woods", produced by CryptTV, is the new supernatural thriller TV series, directed by Krysten Ritter and Jacob Chase, starring Stefanie Scott, Misha Osherovich, Sofia Bryant, Will Yun Lee, Kylie Liya Page, Reed Diamond and Leonard Roberts, streaming streaming October 21, 2021 on Peacock:
"...in the Pacific Northwest, 'Carrie' escapes from a bizarre, cult-like colony...
"...that guards the world from monsters...
"...hidden behind a secret door in the forest..."
Click the images to enlarge.... ...
"...in the Pacific Northwest, 'Carrie' escapes from a bizarre, cult-like colony...
"...that guards the world from monsters...
"...hidden behind a secret door in the forest..."
Click the images to enlarge.... ...
- 9/28/2021
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Are you ready for The Girl in the Woods?
Peacock on Monday dropped the first trailer for its supernatural YA drama about a mysterious door in the woods that leads to a terrifying monster dimension.
It features Carrie a teenage runaway who’s anything but ordinary as she faces her demons and bonds with two new friends, Nolan and Tasha to fight back.
The new drama launches Thursday, October 21, on Peacock. All eight episodes will drop at once, so you can get your binge on.
Score, right?
"Set in the Pacific Northwest, The Girl in the Woods follows Carrie’s escape from her mysterious, cult-like colony that guards the world from monsters hidden behind a secret door within the woods," reads the logline.
The series also touches on contemporary social issues like LGBTQ+ discrimination, the human cost of environmentalism, and the consequences of inequality.
Produced by Crypt TV, the global...
Peacock on Monday dropped the first trailer for its supernatural YA drama about a mysterious door in the woods that leads to a terrifying monster dimension.
It features Carrie a teenage runaway who’s anything but ordinary as she faces her demons and bonds with two new friends, Nolan and Tasha to fight back.
The new drama launches Thursday, October 21, on Peacock. All eight episodes will drop at once, so you can get your binge on.
Score, right?
"Set in the Pacific Northwest, The Girl in the Woods follows Carrie’s escape from her mysterious, cult-like colony that guards the world from monsters hidden behind a secret door within the woods," reads the logline.
The series also touches on contemporary social issues like LGBTQ+ discrimination, the human cost of environmentalism, and the consequences of inequality.
Produced by Crypt TV, the global...
- 9/27/2021
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Disney Plus and National Geographic released the first official trailer for the six-part original series “Welcome to Earth,” starring Will Smith and streaming this December.
The series follows Smith on an adventure around the world, guided by accredited travelers as he explores Earth’s greatest wonders as well as its most hidden secrets.
“I’ve got a confession to make. I’ve never climbed a mountain, never swum in a lake. I was in a cave once. I’m beginning to think that I might be missing something,” Smith says in the trailer. “I asked the best modern day explorers: take me to the ends of the Earth. And they said, ‘Oh, we can go further than that.'”
The guides leading Smith through this journey of exploration include marine biologist and National Geographic explorer Diva Amon, polar expeditions Dwayne Fields, engineer and National Geographic explorer Albert Lin, National Geographic...
The series follows Smith on an adventure around the world, guided by accredited travelers as he explores Earth’s greatest wonders as well as its most hidden secrets.
“I’ve got a confession to make. I’ve never climbed a mountain, never swum in a lake. I was in a cave once. I’m beginning to think that I might be missing something,” Smith says in the trailer. “I asked the best modern day explorers: take me to the ends of the Earth. And they said, ‘Oh, we can go further than that.'”
The guides leading Smith through this journey of exploration include marine biologist and National Geographic explorer Diva Amon, polar expeditions Dwayne Fields, engineer and National Geographic explorer Albert Lin, National Geographic...
- 9/27/2021
- by Katie Song, Selome Hailu and Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
Jacob Chase’s horror film about an autistic boy who is pursued by a monster that lives inside his mobile phone is a mixed bag
This uneven American-made horror film revolves around a young, non-verbal autistic boy named Oliver (Marriage Story’s Azhy Robertson) who finds himself pursued by a monster that lives inside his mobile phone – and any other mobile devices with screens to hand. His mother Sarah (Gillian Jacobs) and dad Marty (John Gallagher Jr) are going through a rough patch: their marriage has been clearly frayed in part by the challenges of parenting a child with such acute special needs, who needs to use his phone to communicate and who finds it difficult to look his mum in the eye.
As a portrait of a family coping with a kid on the spectrum, this is very much a mixed bag: credible and well researched in some respects,...
This uneven American-made horror film revolves around a young, non-verbal autistic boy named Oliver (Marriage Story’s Azhy Robertson) who finds himself pursued by a monster that lives inside his mobile phone – and any other mobile devices with screens to hand. His mother Sarah (Gillian Jacobs) and dad Marty (John Gallagher Jr) are going through a rough patch: their marriage has been clearly frayed in part by the challenges of parenting a child with such acute special needs, who needs to use his phone to communicate and who finds it difficult to look his mum in the eye.
As a portrait of a family coping with a kid on the spectrum, this is very much a mixed bag: credible and well researched in some respects,...
- 9/6/2021
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Coming off her series regular role on Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton, Ruby Barker has signed on to star in Studiocanal and The Picture Company’s high-concept horror/thriller Baghead which shoots in Berlin, Germany this autumn.
Barker joins Witcher star Freya Allan who also has signed on to star in the film.
Baghead is adapted from the festival fave short film of the same name and will be directed by Alberto Corredor who also directed the short. Christina Pamies and Bryce McGuire wrote the script. Baghead revolves around a mysterious figure called Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for short intervals. People seek out the mysterious medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a high...
Barker joins Witcher star Freya Allan who also has signed on to star in the film.
Baghead is adapted from the festival fave short film of the same name and will be directed by Alberto Corredor who also directed the short. Christina Pamies and Bryce McGuire wrote the script. Baghead revolves around a mysterious figure called Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for short intervals. People seek out the mysterious medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a high...
- 6/28/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Freya Allan, a breakout in the Netflix series The Witcher, is set to star in Baghead for Studiocanal and The Picture Company. Production will begin in the fall in Berlin. Allan stars in the upcoming Studiocanal/The Picture Company action thriller Gunpowder Milkshake for Netflix.
The film will be directed by Alberto Corredor, who directed the short film that was acquired to be turned into a feature length horror film. Christina Pamies and Bryce McGuire wrote the script. Studiocanal will commence worldwide sales at the Cannes Market.
Baghead revolves around a mysterious figure called Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for short intervals. People seek out the mysterious medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a...
The film will be directed by Alberto Corredor, who directed the short film that was acquired to be turned into a feature length horror film. Christina Pamies and Bryce McGuire wrote the script. Studiocanal will commence worldwide sales at the Cannes Market.
Baghead revolves around a mysterious figure called Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for short intervals. People seek out the mysterious medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a...
- 6/11/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Sundance Institute has announced the 21 fellows and 18 projects they have selected for their first-ever, multi-track Episodic Lab, which is being held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fellows chosen include Justin Calen-Chenn (The Cavi), Lauren Glover (A Dignified Death), Andrew Lopez (Emotional), Jessie Barr and Lena Hudson (Fantasia for You), Elissa Blount Moorhead and Ericka Blount Danois (fiftyTWO), Stacy F. McDonald (Gone But Not Forgotten), Zach Gonzalez-Landis (The Great Impasta), Mansoor Adayfi and Antonio Aiello, Yvonne Hana Yi (Hannah with the Dogs), Carly Woodworth (Lasting), Jackie Katzman (Loons), Terrance Daye (Mandingo), Jess dela Merced (On Soul), Shirin Najafi (Regulars), Johnny Alvarez (Somewhere Else), Rom Lotan (Tehran Disco), Melody Cooper (Those Who Kill) and Nicole Saad (Tinderbox).
The 2021 Lab, hosted on Sundance Collab, has been designed as an immersive two-part experience. Fellows were divided into either the “Idea to Pilot Track,” in which they developed an...
Fellows chosen include Justin Calen-Chenn (The Cavi), Lauren Glover (A Dignified Death), Andrew Lopez (Emotional), Jessie Barr and Lena Hudson (Fantasia for You), Elissa Blount Moorhead and Ericka Blount Danois (fiftyTWO), Stacy F. McDonald (Gone But Not Forgotten), Zach Gonzalez-Landis (The Great Impasta), Mansoor Adayfi and Antonio Aiello, Yvonne Hana Yi (Hannah with the Dogs), Carly Woodworth (Lasting), Jackie Katzman (Loons), Terrance Daye (Mandingo), Jess dela Merced (On Soul), Shirin Najafi (Regulars), Johnny Alvarez (Somewhere Else), Rom Lotan (Tehran Disco), Melody Cooper (Those Who Kill) and Nicole Saad (Tinderbox).
The 2021 Lab, hosted on Sundance Collab, has been designed as an immersive two-part experience. Fellows were divided into either the “Idea to Pilot Track,” in which they developed an...
- 5/14/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Peacock has set the main cast of YA supernatural drama Girl in the Woods based on the Crypt TV IP. Stefanie Scott (Insidious: Chapter 3) — who will play the lead — Misha Osherovich (Freaky) and Sofia Bryant (I Am Not Okay with This) are set as series regulars. The Good Doctor‘s Will Yun Lee, Kylie Liya Page (Social Distance), Reed Diamond (13 Reasons Why) and Leonard Roberts (The Magicians) have been cast as recurring.
The series is based on Crypt’s 2018 short film The Door in the Woods, which was written and directed by Joey Greene, and the 2020 sequel The Girl in the Woods, written by David Calbert, Van Nguyen and directed by Roxine Helberg.
Scott will play the lead Carrie, the central character in the Crypt TV franchise. Carrie is a mysterious warrior who escaped from a cult-like colony that guards the world from monsters hidden behind a secret door in the woods.
The series is based on Crypt’s 2018 short film The Door in the Woods, which was written and directed by Joey Greene, and the 2020 sequel The Girl in the Woods, written by David Calbert, Van Nguyen and directed by Roxine Helberg.
Scott will play the lead Carrie, the central character in the Crypt TV franchise. Carrie is a mysterious warrior who escaped from a cult-like colony that guards the world from monsters hidden behind a secret door in the woods.
- 5/10/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
“Community” and “Love” star Gillian Jacobs and “Aladdin” break-out Marwan Kenzari are set to lead Berlin-set romantic comedy “Any Other Night.”
Written by Patrick Whistler and directed by Michiel Ten Horn, the comedy follows two strangers thrown together as their lives are falling apart. Freshly dumped Maggie (Jacobs) and flailing cab driver Max (Kenzari) meet the night of a crippling transit strike, with the latter loading all of Maggie’s worldly possessions into the back of his decrepit van-cab. What should have been a simple fare becomes a wild, late-night odyssey.
“Any Other Night” is produced by Mike MacMillan of Lithium Studios, the outfit behind Cannes Director’s Fortnight selection “Mobile Homes,” alongside Sol Bondy of One Two Films (“The Tale”). Todd Brown of XYZ Films executive produces the film with XYZ handling sales.
The film marks the first English-language effort from acclaimed Dutch helmer Michiel Ten Horn (one of...
Written by Patrick Whistler and directed by Michiel Ten Horn, the comedy follows two strangers thrown together as their lives are falling apart. Freshly dumped Maggie (Jacobs) and flailing cab driver Max (Kenzari) meet the night of a crippling transit strike, with the latter loading all of Maggie’s worldly possessions into the back of his decrepit van-cab. What should have been a simple fare becomes a wild, late-night odyssey.
“Any Other Night” is produced by Mike MacMillan of Lithium Studios, the outfit behind Cannes Director’s Fortnight selection “Mobile Homes,” alongside Sol Bondy of One Two Films (“The Tale”). Todd Brown of XYZ Films executive produces the film with XYZ handling sales.
The film marks the first English-language effort from acclaimed Dutch helmer Michiel Ten Horn (one of...
- 5/6/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Peacock has ordered an eight-episode supernatural drama based on “The Door in The Woods” and “The Girl in the Woods.”
“Jessica Jones” lead Krysten Ritter is slated to direct the first four episodes (including the pilot) of the NBCUniversal streaming platform’s forthcoming adaptation of Crypt TV’s “Girl In The Woods” movies. Ritter will also co-executive produce. Jacob Chase (“Come Play”) is set to direct the last four episodes and Casey Modderno (“The Birch”) will serve as head writer.
“As a huge fan of horror and all things coming of age, this is one of the most exciting pilot scripts I’ve gotten my hands on,” Ritter said in a statement. “I fell in love with the characters, the writing, the setting, and the themes the second I read it. I also loved Crypt’s original short ‘The Door in the Woods’ and the universe they are building. I...
“Jessica Jones” lead Krysten Ritter is slated to direct the first four episodes (including the pilot) of the NBCUniversal streaming platform’s forthcoming adaptation of Crypt TV’s “Girl In The Woods” movies. Ritter will also co-executive produce. Jacob Chase (“Come Play”) is set to direct the last four episodes and Casey Modderno (“The Birch”) will serve as head writer.
“As a huge fan of horror and all things coming of age, this is one of the most exciting pilot scripts I’ve gotten my hands on,” Ritter said in a statement. “I fell in love with the characters, the writing, the setting, and the themes the second I read it. I also loved Crypt’s original short ‘The Door in the Woods’ and the universe they are building. I...
- 4/29/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
Krysten Ritter will direct the first four of eight episodes
Peacock is adapting YA supernatural drama “The Girl in the Woods” as a streaming series. Krysten Ritter (“Breaking Bad”) will direct the first four of eight episodes.
The series is based on Crypt’s 2018 short film “The Door in the Woods,” which was written and directed by Joey Greene, and the 2020 sequel “The Girl in the Woods,” written by David Calbert, Van Nguyen and directed by Roxine Helberg.
Set in the Pacific Northwest, this “Girl in the Woods” follows Carrie’s escape from her mysterious, cult-like colony that guards the world from monsters hidden behind a secret door within the woods.
“‘Girl in the Woods’ is Crypt’s most ambitious adaption of our IP to date. We are thrilled to have such special talents in Krysten Ritter, Casey Modderno and Jacob Chase bringing this series to life with grounded characters...
Peacock is adapting YA supernatural drama “The Girl in the Woods” as a streaming series. Krysten Ritter (“Breaking Bad”) will direct the first four of eight episodes.
The series is based on Crypt’s 2018 short film “The Door in the Woods,” which was written and directed by Joey Greene, and the 2020 sequel “The Girl in the Woods,” written by David Calbert, Van Nguyen and directed by Roxine Helberg.
Set in the Pacific Northwest, this “Girl in the Woods” follows Carrie’s escape from her mysterious, cult-like colony that guards the world from monsters hidden behind a secret door within the woods.
“‘Girl in the Woods’ is Crypt’s most ambitious adaption of our IP to date. We are thrilled to have such special talents in Krysten Ritter, Casey Modderno and Jacob Chase bringing this series to life with grounded characters...
- 4/29/2021
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Krysten Ritter is to direct the first four episodes of an adaptation of Crypt TV’s Girl In The Woods for Peacock.
The NBCU streamer has ordered an eight-episode series based on the horror company’s The Door In The Woods and its sequel The Girl in the Woods.
The series will have a new cast from the movies, which starred the likes of Kal Penn and Peyton List.
Set in the Pacific Northwest, Girl In The Woods follows Carrie’s escape from her mysterious, cult-like colony that guards the world from monsters hidden behind a secret door within the woods.
Crypt TV was launched in 2015 by Jack Davis and filmmaker Eli Roth with Blumhouse Productions as an investor. Its monsters have spawned five original series on Facebook Watch including The Birch and feature in Netflix anthology series Don’t Watch This. The Girl in the Woods deal is...
The NBCU streamer has ordered an eight-episode series based on the horror company’s The Door In The Woods and its sequel The Girl in the Woods.
The series will have a new cast from the movies, which starred the likes of Kal Penn and Peyton List.
Set in the Pacific Northwest, Girl In The Woods follows Carrie’s escape from her mysterious, cult-like colony that guards the world from monsters hidden behind a secret door within the woods.
Crypt TV was launched in 2015 by Jack Davis and filmmaker Eli Roth with Blumhouse Productions as an investor. Its monsters have spawned five original series on Facebook Watch including The Birch and feature in Netflix anthology series Don’t Watch This. The Girl in the Woods deal is...
- 4/29/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
A young boy who struggles to connect with others turns to his cell phone and tablet for companionship, befriending a strange and sinister non-human creature in the spine-chilling paranormal thriller, Come Play, available to own for the very first time on Digital January 12, 2021 and on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand January 26, 2021 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Starring Gillian Jacobs (“Community”), John Gallagher Jr. (“Westworld”), Azhy Roberston (Marriage Story), and Winslow Fegley (Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made), the “wonderfully twisted” film is based on writer and director Jacob Chase’s own original short film, “Larry,” and explores the connection between technology and isolation through exciting, innovative and thrilling storytelling, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Come Play was produced by The Picture Company for Amblin Partners.
Desperate for a friend, Oliver (Robertson), a lonely boy who feels different from everyone else, seeks solace and refuge...
Starring Gillian Jacobs (“Community”), John Gallagher Jr. (“Westworld”), Azhy Roberston (Marriage Story), and Winslow Fegley (Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made), the “wonderfully twisted” film is based on writer and director Jacob Chase’s own original short film, “Larry,” and explores the connection between technology and isolation through exciting, innovative and thrilling storytelling, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Come Play was produced by The Picture Company for Amblin Partners.
Desperate for a friend, Oliver (Robertson), a lonely boy who feels different from everyone else, seeks solace and refuge...
- 1/20/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Following its initial release in the Halloween season, the technological terrors of Jacob Chase's Come Play will be unleashed on Digital beginning January 12th, followed by a Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand release on January 26th from Universal.
We have the official press release with full details below, and in case you missed it, check out Monte Yazzie's review and Jonathan James' video interviews with the cast and crew!
Press Release: Universal City, California, January 5, 2021 – A young boy who struggles to connect with others turns to his cell phone and tablet for companionship, befriending a strange and sinister non-human creature in the spine-chilling paranormal thriller, Come Play, available to own for the very first time on Digital January 12, 2021 and on Blu-ray™️, DVD and On Demand January 26, 2021 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Starring Gillian Jacobs (“Community”), John Gallagher Jr. (“Westworld”), Azhy Roberston (Marriage Story), and Winslow Fegley (Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made...
We have the official press release with full details below, and in case you missed it, check out Monte Yazzie's review and Jonathan James' video interviews with the cast and crew!
Press Release: Universal City, California, January 5, 2021 – A young boy who struggles to connect with others turns to his cell phone and tablet for companionship, befriending a strange and sinister non-human creature in the spine-chilling paranormal thriller, Come Play, available to own for the very first time on Digital January 12, 2021 and on Blu-ray™️, DVD and On Demand January 26, 2021 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Starring Gillian Jacobs (“Community”), John Gallagher Jr. (“Westworld”), Azhy Roberston (Marriage Story), and Winslow Fegley (Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made...
- 1/5/2021
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
He just wants a friend. Last Halloween, Focus Features and Amblin Partners introduced horror fans to Larry, a brand new monster that was birthed in Jacob Chase‘s Come Play, which Meagan Navarro said “applies scare-filled Creepypasta horror to family drama.” Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr. star as parents who must fight to save their son (Azhy Robertson) from a […]...
- 1/5/2021
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Come Play movie review is here. The American horror is a feature movie debut of Jacob Chase. Starring Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr., Come Play is an Amblin Partners, The Picture Company and Reliance Entertainment production. The movie is releasing in theatres in India on November 27, 2020.
Come Play movie review
Feature movie debut of Jacob Chase explores the scary idea of monsters coming out from screens of your contemporary devices – phone, laptop, ipad, tv, etc.
This idea has been explored before and Come Play is an extension of debutant writer-director Jacob Chase’s short film Larry. The movie is about fears of loneliness and the importance of what we choose as our friends / peers / acquaintance / company.
The idea which is not noble now anymore still remains mind-blowing as it transforms the scares from the traditional mirror to the gadgets we use nowadays in this age of smartphones and slick wheels.
Come Play movie review
Feature movie debut of Jacob Chase explores the scary idea of monsters coming out from screens of your contemporary devices – phone, laptop, ipad, tv, etc.
This idea has been explored before and Come Play is an extension of debutant writer-director Jacob Chase’s short film Larry. The movie is about fears of loneliness and the importance of what we choose as our friends / peers / acquaintance / company.
The idea which is not noble now anymore still remains mind-blowing as it transforms the scares from the traditional mirror to the gadgets we use nowadays in this age of smartphones and slick wheels.
- 11/26/2020
- by Vishal Verma
- GlamSham
A light flickers, flashes, and then blows out. A young boy, panicked, looks intently around his bedroom, holding the glow of a cell phone screen out to illuminate the darkness in the corners. A low grumbling voice grows into a shrieking scream, footsteps pound with booming tremors, the young boy sits covered with a sheet draped over his head.
This scenario could come from any realm of a horror film but it plays the introduction to writer/director Jacob Chase’s debut feature film Come Play. The scene of a terrified child placed in a frightful situation, sometimes known as the “child in peril” device, has populated film in many different forms. Sometimes it’s fun, like in The Goonies, playful, like in The Monster Squad, and other times downright scary and disturbing, like in The Babadook or It. Come Play falls into the scary category, a film that depends...
This scenario could come from any realm of a horror film but it plays the introduction to writer/director Jacob Chase’s debut feature film Come Play. The scene of a terrified child placed in a frightful situation, sometimes known as the “child in peril” device, has populated film in many different forms. Sometimes it’s fun, like in The Goonies, playful, like in The Monster Squad, and other times downright scary and disturbing, like in The Babadook or It. Come Play falls into the scary category, a film that depends...
- 11/2/2020
- by Monte Yazzie
- DailyDead
Audiences did not heed the title of “Come Play,” a terrifying thriller from Focus Features and Amblin that debuted in U.S. theaters this weekend. The PG-13 horror film generated just $3.15 million from 2,183 screens, enough to lead sleepy box office charts in pandemic times.
Moviegoing has been incredibly slow in North America because theaters New York City and Los Angeles, two vital markets, remain closed. With those venues shuttered, studios are wary of releasing big-budget potential blockbusters. For the time being, studios are siphoning off smaller movies like “Come Play,” supernatural thriller “The Empty Man” and family flick “The War With Grandpa.” It’s a chance for theater owners to entice people with new product, sure, but such offerings are hardly moving the needle for ticket sales.
“Come Play” actually came in ahead of expectations: pre-release tracking suggested inaugural weekend sales around $2 million to $2.5 million. Yet analyst David A. Gross,...
Moviegoing has been incredibly slow in North America because theaters New York City and Los Angeles, two vital markets, remain closed. With those venues shuttered, studios are wary of releasing big-budget potential blockbusters. For the time being, studios are siphoning off smaller movies like “Come Play,” supernatural thriller “The Empty Man” and family flick “The War With Grandpa.” It’s a chance for theater owners to entice people with new product, sure, but such offerings are hardly moving the needle for ticket sales.
“Come Play” actually came in ahead of expectations: pre-release tracking suggested inaugural weekend sales around $2 million to $2.5 million. Yet analyst David A. Gross,...
- 11/1/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Sunday Am, Refresh for updates and chart: Focus Features/Amblin’s PG-13 horror movie Come Play came in much better than expected, seeing a boost on Halloween night (as opposed to expected drop) with $1.3M, +18% over Friday+preview’s $1.1M. This puts the pic’s opening weekend at $3.15M in No. 1 spot.
One industry insider tells me about the boost, “Look at what happens when you spend on TV, people actually come; no studio has really figured out digital spending yet” and I hear the last five days Focus spent on TV. That’s also the reason why Tenet‘s Labor Day opening weekend grosses weren’t so vibrant: The studio curbed its TV spending, opting for more digital. How are you suppose to generate box office if you’re not telling audiences about your movie? Notable TV spend equals notable theatrical ticket sales.
There are no comps during the pandemic,...
One industry insider tells me about the boost, “Look at what happens when you spend on TV, people actually come; no studio has really figured out digital spending yet” and I hear the last five days Focus spent on TV. That’s also the reason why Tenet‘s Labor Day opening weekend grosses weren’t so vibrant: The studio curbed its TV spending, opting for more digital. How are you suppose to generate box office if you’re not telling audiences about your movie? Notable TV spend equals notable theatrical ticket sales.
There are no comps during the pandemic,...
- 11/1/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Focus Features and Amblin’s Halloween offering Come Play filled its trick-or-treat bag with $3.2 million in domestic grosses, easily enough to top another hollow weekend at the box office amid the ongoing pandemic.
Opening in 2,183 theaters, the horror-thriller came in ahead of expectations and jumped 18 percent from Friday to Saturday (Halloween).
Jacob Chase’s directorial debut stars Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr. The project began as a short film which was optioned, developed and financed by Amblin into a feature in close association with Chase and producers Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona under their Picture Company ...
Opening in 2,183 theaters, the horror-thriller came in ahead of expectations and jumped 18 percent from Friday to Saturday (Halloween).
Jacob Chase’s directorial debut stars Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr. The project began as a short film which was optioned, developed and financed by Amblin into a feature in close association with Chase and producers Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona under their Picture Company ...
- 11/1/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Focus Features and Amblin’s Halloween offering Come Play filled its trick-or-treat bag with $3.2 million in domestic grosses, easily enough to top another hollow weekend at the box office amid the ongoing pandemic.
Opening in 2,183 theaters, the horror-thriller came in ahead of expectations and jumped 18 percent from Friday to Saturday (Halloween).
Jacob Chase’s directorial debut stars Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr. The project began as a short film which was optioned, developed and financed by Amblin into a feature in close association with Chase and producers Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona under their Picture Company ...
Opening in 2,183 theaters, the horror-thriller came in ahead of expectations and jumped 18 percent from Friday to Saturday (Halloween).
Jacob Chase’s directorial debut stars Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr. The project began as a short film which was optioned, developed and financed by Amblin into a feature in close association with Chase and producers Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona under their Picture Company ...
- 11/1/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s that time of year, so it is hardly a surprise that one of the releases for this final weekend in October – in theaters and On Demand -- is the horror flick Come Play.
It stunningly uses the autistic child at the heart of this story and how his lack of communication abilities can be used as a thrilling plot movement in a horror film.
Writer-director Jacob Chase brings his cult hit short film, Larry, to the big screen and in the process makes quite the statement about motherhood and how people who are different are viewed in our society while also scaring the you-know-what out of us.
Come Play finds Gillian Jacobs (Community) as Sarah, a mother to an elementary school aged boy who is on the spectrum. Oliver cannot talk and uses various tech devices to convey his thoughts to his teachers and family. As the film commences,...
It stunningly uses the autistic child at the heart of this story and how his lack of communication abilities can be used as a thrilling plot movement in a horror film.
Writer-director Jacob Chase brings his cult hit short film, Larry, to the big screen and in the process makes quite the statement about motherhood and how people who are different are viewed in our society while also scaring the you-know-what out of us.
Come Play finds Gillian Jacobs (Community) as Sarah, a mother to an elementary school aged boy who is on the spectrum. Oliver cannot talk and uses various tech devices to convey his thoughts to his teachers and family. As the film commences,...
- 10/30/2020
- by Joel Amos
- TVfanatic
A few movies may have been scared off by the pandemic (like Blumhouse’s “Halloween Kills” and MGM’s “Candyman” reboot), but Hollywood’s spooky season comes to a crescendo all the same this weekend with several new horror offerings.
While Sony is charging $24.99 to rent its watered-down teen-witch sequel “The Craft: Legacy,” theatergoers can see Amblin-produced haunted-iPad chiller “Come Play” in theaters for less. Paramount is giving audiences a choice with hoodoo horror movie “Spell”: See it in theaters or via PVOD.
Netflix subscribers have options as well, with new releases including Sundance midnight movie “His House” and Polish import “Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight.”
To recap the other horror options that have come out this month, there are four “Welcome to the Blumhouse” movies on Amazon. Hulu had “Bad Hair” and “Books of Blood.” “Saw” co-creator Darren Lynn Bousman made “Death of Me,” while “Final Destination...
While Sony is charging $24.99 to rent its watered-down teen-witch sequel “The Craft: Legacy,” theatergoers can see Amblin-produced haunted-iPad chiller “Come Play” in theaters for less. Paramount is giving audiences a choice with hoodoo horror movie “Spell”: See it in theaters or via PVOD.
Netflix subscribers have options as well, with new releases including Sundance midnight movie “His House” and Polish import “Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight.”
To recap the other horror options that have come out this month, there are four “Welcome to the Blumhouse” movies on Amazon. Hulu had “Bad Hair” and “Books of Blood.” “Saw” co-creator Darren Lynn Bousman made “Death of Me,” while “Final Destination...
- 10/30/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Focus Features has set a June 25, 2021 theatrical release for Justin Chon’s drama Blue Bayou which the label picked up global rights to last spring during the Cannes virtual market.
The pic, which also stars Chon, tells the timely story of a uniquely American family fighting for their future. Antonio LeBlanc (Chon), a Korean adoptee raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou, is married to the love of his life Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and step-dad to their beloved daughter Jessie. Struggling to make a better life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past when he discovers that he could be deported from the only country he has ever called home.
Chon also wrote the feature and the movie stars Mark O’Brien (Arrival), Linh Dan Pham, and Emory Cohen (Brooklyn). Producers are Chon, Charles D. King, Kim Poth, and Poppy Hanks.
Today, Focus Features is...
The pic, which also stars Chon, tells the timely story of a uniquely American family fighting for their future. Antonio LeBlanc (Chon), a Korean adoptee raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou, is married to the love of his life Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and step-dad to their beloved daughter Jessie. Struggling to make a better life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past when he discovers that he could be deported from the only country he has ever called home.
Chon also wrote the feature and the movie stars Mark O’Brien (Arrival), Linh Dan Pham, and Emory Cohen (Brooklyn). Producers are Chon, Charles D. King, Kim Poth, and Poppy Hanks.
Today, Focus Features is...
- 10/30/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Just in time for Halloween, Come Play is out in theaters today and would make for a great Halloween night at the drive-in! At a recent press day for the movie, I had a chance to talk with writer / director Jacob Chase about expanding his short film "Larry" into a full feature, and Gillian Jacobs, and John Gallagher Jr. spoke about working with their young co-star Azhy Robertson, and shared their favorite scary movies!
"Newcomer Azhy Robertson stars as Oliver, a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses Oliver’s devices against him to break into our world, Oliver’s parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.) must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen. The film is produced by The Picture Company for Amblin Partners.
"Newcomer Azhy Robertson stars as Oliver, a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses Oliver’s devices against him to break into our world, Oliver’s parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.) must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen. The film is produced by The Picture Company for Amblin Partners.
- 10/30/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Meet Oliver (Azhy Robertson). He’s eight years old or so, and is somewhere on the Autism spectrum. He loves SpongeBob Squarepants. Oliver doesn’t talk, though his speech therapist thinks he’s making some progress; he uses a sort of modern speak-and-spell app on his phone to communicate. His mom, Sarah (Gillian Jacobs), worries about him constantly. His dad, Marty (John Gallagher Jr.), isn’t sure how to help him either, which causes a lot of friction between the couple. The boy used to be pals with his classmate,...
- 10/30/2020
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
This weekend is Halloween and Focus Features is delivering some scares with the Jacob Chase-directed horror Come Play, which opens in theaters starting today.
Come Play is based on Chase’s 2017 short film Larry. The feature version which is dubbed as “a terrifying new vision in horror” follows Oliver (newcomer Azhy Robertson), a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses Oliver’s devices against him to break into our world, Oliver’s parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.) must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen.
The horror film was set to open in theaters on July 24, but like all movies, the release date shifted due to the pandemic. However, to release the movie on Halloween weekend seems more appropriate. Sony...
Come Play is based on Chase’s 2017 short film Larry. The feature version which is dubbed as “a terrifying new vision in horror” follows Oliver (newcomer Azhy Robertson), a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses Oliver’s devices against him to break into our world, Oliver’s parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.) must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen.
The horror film was set to open in theaters on July 24, but like all movies, the release date shifted due to the pandemic. However, to release the movie on Halloween weekend seems more appropriate. Sony...
- 10/30/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
There’s a monster in “Come Play” that no one can quite grab, and if there’s an underlying metaphor for that monster, writer-director Jacob Chase (adapting his short film) has similar difficulties getting his arms around any deeper meaning.
Not that all monster movies have to be laden with significance, obviously, but without some deeper idea at play here, all that’s left is a routine, jump-scare-laden PG-13 horror tale featuring a cast that’s above the film’s paygrade.
Azhy Robertson stars as Oliver, an autistic child who, like many children, spends most of his day staring at screens, although when he’s not watching “SpongeBob Squarepants,” he uses an app on his phone for verbal communication. Oliver’s special needs have, perhaps, strained the marriage of his parents Sarah (Gillian Jacobs) and Marty (John Gallagher Jr.), but their estrangement is one of several plot threads the film raises,...
Not that all monster movies have to be laden with significance, obviously, but without some deeper idea at play here, all that’s left is a routine, jump-scare-laden PG-13 horror tale featuring a cast that’s above the film’s paygrade.
Azhy Robertson stars as Oliver, an autistic child who, like many children, spends most of his day staring at screens, although when he’s not watching “SpongeBob Squarepants,” he uses an app on his phone for verbal communication. Oliver’s special needs have, perhaps, strained the marriage of his parents Sarah (Gillian Jacobs) and Marty (John Gallagher Jr.), but their estrangement is one of several plot threads the film raises,...
- 10/28/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Only the Lonely: Chase Explores Childhood Traumas in Effective Horror Film
The alienating effects of miscommunication with autistic loved ones is usually the stomping ground of subgenre melodrama, so utilizing the situation as a backdrop for Come Play, the sophomore feature from director Jacob Chase, is indeed a welcome exploration.
Adapted from his own 2017 short film “Larry,” it evokes a tradition of Spielbergian elements of the 70s and 80s, wherein troubled families find their resiliency tested through interaction with either extraterrestrial or supernatural elements.
Like a dark fairy tale, the usual tactics eventually prevail, as Chase utilizes the most innate weapon in the familial arsenal, but it’s a deservedly effective take cobbling together familiar elements for a contemporary genre film, bolstered by strong performances and impressive special effects.…...
The alienating effects of miscommunication with autistic loved ones is usually the stomping ground of subgenre melodrama, so utilizing the situation as a backdrop for Come Play, the sophomore feature from director Jacob Chase, is indeed a welcome exploration.
Adapted from his own 2017 short film “Larry,” it evokes a tradition of Spielbergian elements of the 70s and 80s, wherein troubled families find their resiliency tested through interaction with either extraterrestrial or supernatural elements.
Like a dark fairy tale, the usual tactics eventually prevail, as Chase utilizes the most innate weapon in the familial arsenal, but it’s a deservedly effective take cobbling together familiar elements for a contemporary genre film, bolstered by strong performances and impressive special effects.…...
- 10/28/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
As if parents don’t have enough to worry about these days, now there’s a lonely demon named Larry hiding in your kid’s iPad and trying to lure them into some kind of hell dimension. So goes the rusty hook of Jacob Chase’s “Come Play,” , where its tepid scares will be forced to compete against the abject terror of breathing the same air as a few reckless strangers.
But the problem here isn’t necessarily with Chase’s premise, which the writer-director first explored in the 2017 short “Larry.” For one thing, the poor guy had no way of knowing that — by the time his feature was finished — the prospect of “surrendering your child to some kind of hell dimension” would seem like a tempting alternative to public school. For another, the idea behind “Come Play” isn’t quite as silly as it sounds.
Chase’s monster isn...
But the problem here isn’t necessarily with Chase’s premise, which the writer-director first explored in the 2017 short “Larry.” For one thing, the poor guy had no way of knowing that — by the time his feature was finished — the prospect of “surrendering your child to some kind of hell dimension” would seem like a tempting alternative to public school. For another, the idea behind “Come Play” isn’t quite as silly as it sounds.
Chase’s monster isn...
- 10/28/2020
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
“Cellphone horror” updates itself as technology improves and its place in culture changes. In 2019, “Countdown” warned of the perils of downloading every newfangled popular app for funsies, especially apps that kill. This year, Jacob Chase’s “Come Play,” adapted from his 2018 short “Larry,” moves from phones to smart devices and cries “stranger danger,” reminding audiences that none of us know who’s watching us through our screens, or what; a pervert named Larry, perhaps, or an extra-dimensional child-snatching monster?
Continue reading ‘Come Play’: Gillian Jacobs Stars In A ‘Babadook’ Cousin With ‘Conjuring’ Aesthetics [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Come Play’: Gillian Jacobs Stars In A ‘Babadook’ Cousin With ‘Conjuring’ Aesthetics [Review] at The Playlist.
- 10/28/2020
- by Andrew Crump
- The Playlist
Plot: A young boy named Oliver who has trouble communicating verbally comes across a scary story featuring a terrifying creature, one whose presence begins to seep into the real world and attempt to claim Oliver as his own. Review: In the new horror film Come Play, writer/director Jacob Chase uses a freaky premise to explore how maybe putting so much reliance…...
- 10/28/2020
- by Matt Rooney
- JoBlo.com
While expanding a short film into a feature may not be a new invention, what matters is how the filmmaker innovates, fashioning a full garment out of the scrap of existing cloth. In “Come Play,” writer-director Jacob Chase takes the titular creature of his five-minute short “Larry” and imagines him as the primary instigator in fracturing a family — think “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” if the kind-hearted alien wanted to kidnap Elliot. But for all the ingenuity Chase brings to subverting the traditional “boy and his dog” formula, spinning it into a horror-fueled “boy and the dog he doesn’t want” story, the end result yields little more than a shrug.
Lonely 8-year-old Oliver Sutton (Azhy Robertson) has nonverbal autism and is reliant on his iPhone as his main form of communication with the world. Though he’s desperate to make friends, all that surrounds him are foes, like bullies Mateo...
Lonely 8-year-old Oliver Sutton (Azhy Robertson) has nonverbal autism and is reliant on his iPhone as his main form of communication with the world. Though he’s desperate to make friends, all that surrounds him are foes, like bullies Mateo...
- 10/28/2020
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
There’s a fertile history of technology as a conduit for evil in horror, notably in films like Poltergeist and The Ring. Those predecessors are among the more obvious influences of writer-director Jacob Chase’s gripping family-in-peril chiller, Come Play, expanded with great assurance in both craft and storytelling from his imaginative 5-minute short, Larry. The idea of a children’s picture book as a demonic incubator recalls The Babadook; both the creature design and the strategic use of a motion detector summon the Alien franchise; and even the shark-tooth trim on the young protagonist’s hoodie seems a playful nod to Jaws, while his mop-top is ...
- 10/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There’s a fertile history of technology as a conduit for evil in horror, notably in films like Poltergeist and The Ring. Those predecessors are among the more obvious influences of writer-director Jacob Chase’s gripping family-in-peril chiller, Come Play, expanded with great assurance in both craft and storytelling from his imaginative 5-minute short, Larry. The idea of a children’s picture book as a demonic incubator recalls The Babadook; both the creature design and the strategic use of a motion detector summon the Alien franchise; and even the shark-tooth trim on the young protagonist’s hoodie seems a playful nod to Jaws, while his mop-top is ...
- 10/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Based on his short film Larry, Jacob Chase‘s Come Play stars Gillian Jacobs (“Love”) and John Gallagher Jr. (Underwater) as parents who must fight to save their son from a monster named Larry. “Come Play stars Azhy Robertson as a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When […]...
- 10/27/2020
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Whenever a child is in danger in a horror film, it tends to add a little extra terror. After all, it's horrifying to see innocence lost. Now make that young character someone on the autism spectrum, it's all the more compelling. Come Play explores this heartbreakingly frightening idea. Based on his short film Larry, writer/director Jacob Chase has crafted a spooky flick about a monster that appears to be seeking a friend. The beast seemingly finds that in Oliver (Azhy Robertson),…...
- 10/27/2020
- by JimmyO
- JoBlo.com
Opening in theaters on October 30th, we have a limited number of Daily Dead readers to attend the virtual premiere!
"Newcomer Azhy Robertson stars as Oliver, a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses Oliver’s devices against him to break into our world, Oliver’s parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.) must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen. The film is produced by The Picture Company for Amblin Partners."
Directed and written by Jacob Chase, Come Play stars Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs, and John Gallagher Jr.
Join us for the virtual premiere of Come Play on October 28th @ 6:00Pm Pst. The screening will be followed by a Q&a with the director and cast.
We have 20 tickets available! To RSVP,...
"Newcomer Azhy Robertson stars as Oliver, a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses Oliver’s devices against him to break into our world, Oliver’s parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.) must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen. The film is produced by The Picture Company for Amblin Partners."
Directed and written by Jacob Chase, Come Play stars Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs, and John Gallagher Jr.
Join us for the virtual premiere of Come Play on October 28th @ 6:00Pm Pst. The screening will be followed by a Q&a with the director and cast.
We have 20 tickets available! To RSVP,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Based on his short film Larry, Jacob Chase‘s Come Play stars Gillian Jacobs (“Love”) and John Gallagher Jr. (Underwater) as parents who must fight to save their son from a monster. While Focus Features will be releasing the film this Halloween weekend, they will be holding a virtual premiere next Wednesday, October 28th at 6Pm Pst. Bloody Disgusting is excited to partner with […]...
- 10/23/2020
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Arriving just in time for the Halloween season, Focus Features is giving you a chance to screen their horror film Come Play two days before its official release! Focus Features is hosting a virtual premiere for Come Play next Wednesday, October 28th at 6:00 Pm Pst. The screening will immediately be followed by a Q&a with Writer/Director Jacob Chase & stars…...
- 10/23/2020
- by Gaius Bolling
- JoBlo.com
Based on his short film Larry, Jacob Chase‘s Come Play stars Gillian Jacobs (“Love”) and John Gallagher Jr. (Underwater) as parents who must fight to save their son from a monster. Produced by Amblin Partners, Focus Features will be releasing the film on October 30, 2020. To bring attention to tickets going on sale tomorrow, they’ve released a brand new poster and stills […]...
- 10/14/2020
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Given the horrors our devices routinely beam into our eyes, it’s only natural for filmmakers to try and conjure up monsters on the small screens of our tablets and smartphones. The latest to gawk a ghoul in the machine is Come Play, a creature feature from writer and director Jacob Chase that’s slated to debut the day…...
- 8/27/2020
- by Randall Colburn on News, shared by Randall Colburn to The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
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