IFC Midnight has built up a reputation for releasing chilling, spooky, and often gruesome little films that you might not have had the chance to see otherwise. They’re keeping up that tradition with The Wretched, a horror drenched battle of good and evil that sees a young boy move to a new town only to have to take down a malevolent, violent, and cruel witch with a shocking power.
As you can see from the pretty terrifying trailer above, this flick is definitely leaning into the current trend of taking younger protagonists and throwing them into a horrific battle with a supernatural evil. One of the most interesting things we’ve read about The Wretched is that the creative team sees it as a return to retro hero’s journey adventure stories like The Goonies. As fans of both grimy horror and classic adventure movies, we’re very into this unexpected mashup. Plus, we love a good witch story!
IFC Midnight
The official description of The Wretched gives us a little more of detail of what’s in store.
“Following his parents’ separation, a rebellious teenage boy, Ben, is sent to live with his father for the summer and work at the local marina in order to gain some form of discipline. The idyllic tourist town offers little solace for him, however, as he is forced to deal with the local, privileged teens and his father’s new girlfriend. Ben’s problems grow increasingly disturbing when he makes a chilling discovery about the family renting the house next door. A malevolent spirit from the woods has taken a hold of the parents and starts playing a sinister game of house, preying upon the children and wiping away any trace of their existence. Ben’s suspicions of the supernatural horrors go unheeded and he launches a perilous crusade in order to put an end to the skin-walking witch’s reign of terror.”
Sounds like the perfect creepy distraction to us! The Wretched hits VOD on May 1.
Header Image: IFC Midnight