We’ve heard of haunted houses and haunted hospitals and haunted asylums and any number of haunted buildings. But what if more mundane objects could be packed with spirits, perhaps of malicious origin? That’s the idea behind In Fabric, the new horror film from director Peter Strickland, which is about a woman’s struggles with a haunted red dress.
Yes, this is a movie about a haunted dress. And it looks bananas in all of the best ways.
Here’s the synopsis:
A lonely woman, recently separated from her husband, visits a bewitching London department store in search of a dress that will transform her life. She’s fitted with a perfectly flattering, artery-red gown–which, in time, will come to unleash a malevolent curse and unstoppable evil, threatening everyone who comes into its path.
Strickland, who also wrote the film, is known for his uniquely beautiful, occasionally haunting films, Berberian Sound Studio and The Duke of Burgundy. This film looks even more outright horrific than those, with imagery that is nightmare-inducing in a very David Lynchian sort of way. In fact, that master of weird is even quoted in the trailer by critics, so this looks like it could be right up any Twin Peaks fan’s alley.
In Fabric stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste in the lead role, along with Hayley Squires, Leo Bill, and Brienne of Tarth herself, Gwendoline Christie. It joins a spate of other cerebral horror films that will be released by A24 this year, including Midsommar and the recent Cannes breakout The Lighthouse, which comes from Robert Eggers, the director of The Witch.
In Fabric premiered at a number of film festivals last year, including the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada and Fantastic Fest in the United States. It received glowing reviews from critics, so this is definitely one to keep your eye on. No word on an exact release date just yet, but it’ll likely debut by the end of the year.
Images: A24