Dirty Boy
directed by Doug Rao
UK, 2025, 98′, Psychological horror
Cult organizations not only suppress the individuality of those trapped within them, but also tend to shatter the psychological and physical stability of their victims. This is what happens to young Isaac in Dirty Boy, a schizophrenic teenager whose fragile mental condition is wickedly exploited by those around him, and dramaturgically manipulated by those telling his story. The film’s director, British filmmaker Doug Rao (who steps behind the camera after a long acting career), immediately “splits” his protagonist, staging a constant dialogue between Isaac’s real and imaginary selves. This continuous interaction – interwoven with his repeated attempts to escape – magnifies the ambiguities of the cult members’ ritual practices, infusing their absurd and illogical actions with a distinctly grotesque spirit.
What Happened to Dorothy Bell?
directed by Danny Villanueva Jr.
USA, 2025, 80′, Horror
In horror narratives, childhood often represents a traumatic period during which characters internalize the crises and “ghosts of the past” they will only confront as adults. Ozzy Gray (Asya Meadows) fully embodies this narrative convention: throughout What Happened to Dorothy Bell?, she tries to answer the question that has haunted her entire life – “What really happened to my grandmother?” The film’s opening image is deeply unsettling. Since the old woman vanished without a trace, leaving behind a truly “monstrous” memory, Ozzy sets out to uncover the mystery by creating a visual document. The film thus positions cinema itself as a natural investigative tool, emphasizing the revelatory power that runs through its dark, enigmatic images.
The Bride
directed by Lee Thongkham
Thailand, 2025, 96′, Crime/Horror
Marriage – as a ritual of union, promise, and continuity – becomes, in The Bride, a macabre device that overturns its original meaning: from a celebration of love to an inherited sacrifice. The protagonist is not driven by affection but by the echo of loss: her sister, who vanished years earlier under mysterious circumstances, had been promised to the same man she now approaches in an attempt to unearth the past and uncover the truth. What awaits her is not the beginning of a love story but a confrontation with ancient traditions and visions that blur the line between reality and nightmare. Director Lee Thongkham crafts a bloody and morbid atmosphere where the female body becomes a ritual offering – the instrument of a sinister pact renewed generation after generation. Intimate anxieties and menacing shadows intertwine, turning the search for truth into a descent that threatens to consume whoever undertakes it. In this way, The Bride delves into the darkest side of familial bonds, transforming the wedding vow into an inescapable curse.
The Caretakers
directed by Shugo Praico
International premiere at Oltre lo Specchio Film Festival
Philippines, 2025, 86′, Horror
*this film already premiere in the PH early this year
Longline
Two mothers, entangled in a desperate battle for possession and ownership of a valuable ancestral property, unwittingly unleash a wrathful entity lurking within the land. As darkness consumes them, and the horrors push them to their limits, they must confront the evils within before it destroys them and their families.
Synopsis
Audrey, a housewife with two daughters, flees her crumbling marriage and schemes to sell her husband’s ancestral property for a fresh start. Her plans clash with Lydia, the property’s caretaker, a matriarch protecting her impoverished family with ties to the indigenous tribe. When Audrey’s arrival threatens their home, Lydia uses the house’s haunted history to scare her off, but an accidental death awakens the vengeful spirit of the Maybahay. As tensions escalate, Audrey and Lydia must confront their actions and fight for their families’ survival against a supernatural force determined to reclaim its land at any cost.
Title: The Caretakers
Director: Shugo Praico
Screenplay: Shugo Praico, John Carlo Pacala
Producers: Lino Cayetano, Arleen Cuevas, Philip King
Executive Producers: Lino S. Cayetano, Ronaldo B. Zamora, Lyle Pasco, Vivencio Dizon, Lily Monteverde (+), Roselle Y. Monteverde, Keith Monteverde
Country of Production: Philippines
Language: Filipino with English subtitles
Type of film: Narrative Feature
Genre: Folk Horror
Running time: 90 minutes
Format: Digital
Lead Cast: Iza Calzado, Dimples Romana,
Supporting Cast: Marco Masa, Ashley Sarmiento, Althea Ruedas, Erin Espiritu, Erika Clemente, Jake Taylor, Inka Magnaye
Director of Photography: Odyssey Flores
Production Designer: Roma Regala
Editor and Colorist: Moises M.M. Zee
Scorer: Jose Antonio Buencamino
Sound Design: Lamberto Casas Jr.