Dark Sky Films’ ‘Trauma Or, Monsters All,’ the highly anticipated new feature from acclaimed independent horror filmmaker Larry Fessenden, opens today, November 4. The horror thriller is receiving an exclusive theatrical engagement at New York City’s IFC Center. The opening marks the beginning of the movie’s theatrical rollout, featuring special cast appearances and Q&A events.
Produced by Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix, the drama will continue its theatrical release with a Los Angeles opening at Lumiere Music Hall on November 11. The LA screening will include a special Q&A screening. Following the film’s limited theatrical release, it will open nationwide on VOD on November 24.
Written and directed by Fessenden, ‘Trauma Or, Monsters All’ brings together three iconic creatures of horror cinema – the vampire, Frankenstein’s monster and the werewolf – in one contemporary story. The thriller represents the culmination of Fessenden’s decades-long reinterpretation of Universal’s classic monsters, connecting the mythology and themes explored in his acclaimed movies ‘Habit,’ ‘Depraved’ and ‘Blackout.’
Set in the quiet upstate town of Talbot Falls, ‘Trauma Or, Monsters All’ follows visiting writer Cassandra (Laëtitia Hollard), who arrives to research a book about George Washington Carver while working at the local library alongside her new friend Agnes (Aitana Doyle). But after Cassandra publishes an article exposing the town’s disturbing history, long-buried secrets begin to emerge. As a werewolf, vampire and Frankenstein creation step out of the shadows, the community must confront generations of fear, guilt and suppressed trauma.
Blending gothic horror, social commentary and deeply human storytelling, Fessenden delivers a monster narrative that explores memory, identity and the wounds communities carry across generations.
In addition to Hollard and Doyle, the movie’s ensemble cast also includes Addison Timlin, Alex Hurt, Alex Breaux, Fessenden, John Speredakos, Marc Senter, Micheál Neeson, Joshua Leonard, Barbara Crampton, James Le Gros and Marshall Bell. The drama also features appearances by Emily Bennett and Toby Poser, alongside numerous returning Glass Eye Pix collaborators.
“I’ve spent my career reimagining classic monsters because they reveal something deeply human about us. ‘Trauma Or, Monsters All’ brings those stories together into one film about memory, identity, and the wounds we carry. I’m grateful to reunite with Dark Sky Films, whose support of independent horror has made them the perfect home for this project,” Fessenden said.
Greg Newman, EVP of Dark Sky Films, also highlighted the longstanding relationship between the distributor and the filmmaker. “Our partnership with Larry Fessenden and Glass Eye Pix spans many years and some of the most influential independent horror films of their era. ‘Trauma Or, Monsters All’ is another bold, uncompromising work from one of the genre’s true visionaries, and we’re proud to bring it to audiences,” Newman said.
The movie’s release also coincides with OPTIC NERVE: A Tribute to Glass Eye Pix, an ongoing presentation at IFC Center that began October 28. Celebrating the production company’s 40th anniversary, the retrospective honors Glass Eye Pix’s influential contribution to independent cinema, Fessenden’s multifaceted career and the arrival of his latest feature.
The collaboration between Dark Sky Films and Glass Eye Pix spans nearly two decades and has helped bring numerous notable independent genre films to audiences, including Ti West‘s ‘The House of the Devil’ and ‘The Innkeepers,’ as well as ‘Stake Land,’ ‘Stake Land 2,’ ‘Hypothermia,’ ‘Late Phases,’ ‘Bitter Feast’ and ‘Blackout.’
With its theatrical debut beginning today in New York, ‘Trauma Or, Monsters All’ brings Fessenden’s interconnected monster mythology together for a new chapter in independent horror.
