Category: Horror

A filmmaker becomes the target of a serial killer in the colorful new horror-comedy CUT!

Writer-director Marc Ferrer also stars in his new film CUT! as Marcos, a struggling low-budget filmmaker who is desperate to finish his latest project – a queer take on Italian Giallo thrillers of the 1970s.

When the cast and crew of his movie end up the victims of a deranged serial killer, Marcos quickly becomes both a prime suspect for the investigators and the killer’s next potential target. He soon finds he must keep working if he wants to survive.

Paying homage to sleazy Euro-thrillers and the early films of Pedro Almodóvar, this vibrant new horror-comedy melds together mystery, camp, pastiche and heavy doses of homoeroticism.

CUT! is a rollicking meta slasher which proudly showcases the weird, wild and wonderful world of queer artists in Spain and Catalonia.

Watch the trailer for CUT! below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Vacation takes a twisted turn in the demented queer horror/comedy Road Head

Filmmaker David Del Rio, who recently made a transition from acting to feature film directing with 2018’s Sick for Toys, is back with a brand-new follow-up.

Road Head is a wild, weird and decidedly queer horror-comedy starring Elizabeth Grullon, Damian Joseph Quinn and Clayton Farris. The film follows three friends who take a road trip to the Mojave Desert. Their complicated relationships are soon pushed to their breaking point when they run afoul of a murderous cult.

Sort of like The Hills Have Eyes with a queer comedy twist, Road Head is packed with violent thrills, witty dialogue and hilarious barbed commentary about toxic masculinity.

Watch the trailer for Road Head below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A college freshman goes down a dark rabbit hole in the slick horror thriller Exploited

From director Jon Abrahams, an actor who you may know from films like Scary Movie, House of Wax and Meet the Parents, comes Exploited, an unabashedly kinky cyber thriller that will have everyone slapping some tape over their webcam lenses.

Jordan Ver Hoeve stars in the film as Brian, a college freshman who checks into his dorm room and discovers a mysterious thumb drive. Included on the drive are files of an attractive male webcam model (Colin Bates) interacting with his clients. When the final session ends in what may be a murder, he becomes obsessed with unraveling the story.

Brian’s quest becomes complicated when he starts falling for his new jock roommate (Andrew Matthew Welch), who is already taken. The mysterious disappearance of the webcam model takes on a dangerous voyeuristic role when the three members of this college love triangle find themselves being manipulated and blackmailed.

Co-starring Sierra McCormick, an indie darling known for her work on American Horror Story and The Vast of Night, Exploited is a slick and scary thriller which goes off into taboo directions most mainstream films wouldn’t dare.

Watch the trailer for Exploited below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Floating

In expertly-made new short film Floating, a Russian astronaut awakens alone on board a space station module after an unfortunate crash. Space debris has left the module severely damaged and any communication with the outside world appears to be severed.

As the astronaut tries to reconnect to the base, strange noises turn his attention to the outside. There are knocks coming from outside the ship. They get closer and closer until a strange character emerges. He’s come to welcome the astronaut with a pie.

Puzzled, scared and believing everything to be a hallucination, the astronaut tries to focus on his communication efforts… but the mysterious man decides to open the door and let himself in.

From director Frankie De Leonardis, Floating, also known as Flotando, shows what a skilled filmmaker can do on a limited budget. Ultimately telling an allegorical story about self-realization and acceptance, this clever sci-fi short packs a surreal comic punch.

Watch a short – and very tense – trailer for Floating below. The full short film is now available on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Griffica

A wildly inventive new short horror-comedy from writer-director C.J. Arellano, Griffica tells a story about a man whose new boyfriend may be a little too perfect.

When “The Narrator” (James Dolbeare) injures himself attempting a death drop in his apartment, his stunningly attractive neighbor comes to his rescue and soon becomes “The Boyfriend” (Ulyses Espinoza). The early days of their relationship are exceptional. This new beau attends to our lead’s every whim and need. He’s thoughtful, loving, confident, knowledgeable and, above all else, he makes a mean cup of iced coffee that “smells like lavender and world peace.”

Soon enough, this dream partner’s perfection begins grating on our narrator’s nerves. By contrast, he starts to only see his own inadequacies. A year into their relationship, things come to a dramatic head. When the narrator calls his brother to vent his frustrations, he learns about a demonic deity that bears striking similarities to his lover. Could Mr. Right have secretly been an agent of evil this whole time? And what is his master plan?

With visual flair, whip-smart writing and knowing nods to Rosemary’s Baby, Griffica is a delightfully twisted 11-minute short that marks C.J. Arellano as a director to watch. We could easily see him fleshing this film out into a full-length feature.

Watch a short trailer for Griffica below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Workplace paranoia gets out of control in the short horror comedy The Office is Mine

A short dark comedy about workplace horror, writer-director Michael Varrati’s The Office is Mine tells a 13-minute story about the competitive nature in all of us.

Despite the corporate monotony of his job, Zac (Ben Baur) feels like he’s got it all figured out. As “the only gay in the office,” his penchant for hot gossip and in-the-know recommendations have assured his place as the most fabulous employee in an otherwise dull landscape… or so he thinks.

With the arrival of a new hire, the ultra-chic Tristan (Chris Salvatore), Zac suddenly feels like the very thing that makes him stand out is in jeopardy. What’s more, Zac finds himself increasingly convinced that Tristan is intentionally trying to replace him.

Though Owen (Navaris Darson), his loving boyfriend, assures him that all is fine, Zac can’t help but slip further into a world of paranoia and self-doubt. As Zac’s world begins to unravel, it sets him on a collision course with Tristan… who may or may not be all that he seems.

As the two men propel toward a violent and unpredictable confrontation, only one thing is certain: The office isn’t big enough for the both of them!

Watch a special Q&A with director Michael Varrati and actors Ben Baur and Chris Salvatore from the Frameline Film Festival below. The Office is Mine is available now on Dekkoo.

The wild Icelandic horror-comedy Thirst comes to Dekkoo for Halloween!

The wild new Icelandic horror-comedy Thirst has already earned an enthusiastic cult audience internationally, as well as rave reviews from genre-savvy critics.

Directed by Gaukur Úlfarsson and Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson, the film takes place in a small town where evil is lurking around and strange crimes and brutality frequently occur.

Drug addict Hulda (Hulda Lind Kristinsdóttir) is suspected of having something to do with her brother’s death and is being investigated by the police. After being released due to insufficient evidence, she crosses paths with Hjörtur (Hjörtur Sævar Steinason), a lonely, old gay vampire who helps her bring her brother back to life.

This brings unforeseen consequences, in addition to their ongoing battle with a bunch of televangelists who want them dead.

Watch the trailer for Thirst below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Watch the dark, ’90s-set cruising thriller Devil’s Path this Halloween

In the early 90s, while searching for his missing brother in a remote gay cruising park, Noah (Stephen Twardokus) sets his sights on a handsome stranger (JD Scalzo).

When Noah is viciously attacked, he and his new companion escape through the woods with two menacing thugs in hot pursuit.

Lost and frightened, they begin to turn on each other and slowly unravel the truth of what’s really going on around them.

A moody, picturesque psychological thriller from prolific actor and first-time director Matthew Montgomery, Devil’s Path is Halloween viewing-ready. The film features unexpected twists and turns, and seamlessly blends sharp, opposing perspectives about sex and love with suspenseful set pieces filled with existential dread.

Watch the trailer for Devil’s Path below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 7/9/21

In this critically acclaimed sweeping romance, Thomas, a young German baker, has an affair with Oren, a married Israeli man. After Oren unexpectedly dies in a car crash, Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking answers about his death. ‘The Cakemaker’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

When a young gay lawyer arrives on Fire Island to explore his sexuality, he becomes witness to a murder after being drugged. A stranger helps him to safety, but he soon discovers his savior is friends with the killer. Watch ‘Last Ferry’ now on Dekkoo!

After an unusual online encounter, a lonely man is challenged to step out from behind his computer screen and shatter long-lived inhibitions to claim the touch of another human being. ‘Touchscreen’ is available to stream on Dekkoo!

________________________

Coming next week: A voyeuristic, behind-the-scenes look as celebrated choreographer Thierry Smits and his team go through the auditions, rehearsals and eventual premiere of his controversial dance piece Anima Ardens.

Both Seasons of the Dekkoo Original Series Soul Mate are Now Available

Soul Mate is a new two-season, ten-episode episode Dekkoo Original Series series from writer-director Kevin James Thornton, the filmmaker behind the indie sci-fi drama How to Get from Here to There and the romance series Stranger Hearts.

Starring Daniel Mark Collins and Anthony Granda, Soul Mate infuses the story of a strange romance with elements of of horror and suspense. As Eliot and Bryan settle into a new life with each other, one of them develops strange powers. This sets off an imbalance of energy that they must struggle to restore before it’s too late.

Watch the trailers for Seasons 1 and 2 of Soul Mate below. Both seasons are now available on Dekkoo.