Hot on the hellish heels of its spectacular 27th year August five-day event, the UK’s most vibrant genre film festival returns to the ODEON Luxe West End in Leicester Square to present its annual 2-day Halloween event.
Taking over both screens on Friday 30th October and Saturday 31st October, the spine-chilling line-up heralds nine premieres from five countries, spanning Europe, North and South America and Australia/Oceania. Each film will be screened twice.
So, hold on tight as Tubi Frightfest takes you on a spooky, carnage-crammed journey featuring powerful mutants, seasonal spooks, psychotic neighbours, venomous spiders, vengeful werewolves, and shocking Christmas tales where it’s not just the turkey that is carved up.
Opening the gates to ‘Helloween’ is the UK premiere of FREAKS PART II, which sees Final Destination Bloodlines co-directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein return to the mutant roots of their sleeper 2018 cult hit Freaks and this time the Canadian sci-fi horror thriller is even more tense and gory. Zach and Adam will both be in attendance.
Next, we travel to the dark woodlands of Cornwall as Friday’s line-up continues with the World premiere of J.P. Davidson’s haunting and gritty Halloween Folk horror THE CULL, starring Craig Russell, who FrightFest audiences will remember from his cannibalistic turn in Protein.
Some of the cast and crew will be joining us.
The first day closes with the UK premiere of the ‘meanest slasher of the year’ AMERICAN DOLLHOUSE, a modern take on Psycho and Black Christmas, boasting, in unhinged neighbour Sandy, one of creepiest horror antagonists to hit screens in a long time.
Saturday kicks off with the UK premiere of TALKING TO A STRANGER, a supernatural thriller directed by genre visionary and FrightFest favourite Adrián García Bogliano and starring acclaimed filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero in her first leading role.
Then it’s time to bring early holiday cheer and gross-out queasiness to Central London with the UK premiere of Canadian director Michael Gabriele’s UNHOLY NIGHT, an Xmas season’s slay ride reminiscent of a lost chapter of The Evil Dead franchise.
This is followed by the World premiere of Sean Hogan’s THE DARK GETS IN. FrightFest has a long history with writer/director Sean Hogan. From The Devil’s Business to Isle of Dogs and Daddy’s Girl. Now comes his latest innovative shocker - an audacious mix of Found Footage, faux documentary and edge-of-the-seat chiller. Sean will be joining us, alongside some of the cast and crew.
Next up, from Marcel Walz, the king of ‘splatterific’ gore, comes the World premiere of BRUTE 1986, the ultra-violent sequel to Brute 1976. Marcel, known for FrightFest hits Blood Feast, Blind, and Pretty Boy will be attending.
The penultimate presentation is a special screening of CRAWLERS. which follows the tenants of an apartment complex fighting to survive a catastrophic, fast-multiplying infestation of venomous spiders. Matilda Lutz's commanding lead performance grounds this ultra-claustrophobic body horror thriller.
Completing the line-up is the UK premiere of DEAD HOWLING, an action-packed, post-apocalyptic Werewolf vs Zombies horror from the producer of cult genre hit Dog Soldiers. Cast incudes Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, Dead Silence) and Temuera Morrison (The Mandalorian, Aquaman).
Ryan Gillett, Tubi’s Marketing Director, International, commentated: “Following an incredible five days in August, we are thrilled to keep the screams going as the headline sponsor for FrightFest’s Halloween event. Horror isn’t simply a genre to us, it’s one of the biggest, most passionate communities on our platform. Bringing the UK’s premier horror festival together with our permanent 'Terror on Tubi' hub allows us to give dedicated genre fans exactly what they crave this spooky season, completely for free."
Greg Day, FrightFest co-director, added: “This is our 20th edition of the Halloween event, and it remains an unmissable highlight for genre cinema lovers, bringing an exceptional lineup of new horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films to London’s ODEON Luxe West End. We know this year’s selection goes some way into capturing the spirit of the Halloween weekend."
Passes and tickets go on sale at noon on Saturday 3rd October. LINK
Prices: Two-day pass - £85 | Friday 30 Oct Day pass - £36 | Saturday 31 Oct Day pass - £65 | Single tickets - £14.99
All tickets costs may incur booking fee.
PROGRAMME
FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER
OPENING FILM: FREAKS PART II (UK Premiere)
(Times: Screen 1: 5.45pm, Screen 2: 6.15pm)
Directors: Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein. Cast: Amanda Crew, Lorelei Olivia Mote, Lili Taylor, Stephen Toblowsky. Canada 2026. 114 mins.
Synopsis: Mary and her daughter Chloe are now living on the road, hiding their powers and identities, and being hunted by the Abnormal Defence Force, paramilitary police that specialise in ruthless extermination. Mary is fuelled by revenge: to find ADF officer Erica Lang who killed her first child while trying to control Chloe, now a precocious and powerful tween whose longing for a friend causes chaos and carnage.
THE CULL (World Premiere)
(Times: Screen 1: 8.30pm, Screen 2: 9.00pm)
Director: J.P. Davidson. Cast: Craig Russell, Sarah Bowden, Ollie McFarlane, Rory Wilton. UK 2026. 88 mins.
Synopsis: Wrongly imprisoned for his mother’s murder, Niall is finally released having found God and renounced a life of violence and addiction. Retreating to a remote woodland cabin seeking the truth behind her death, he finds a hostile community ruled by a ruthless family, where every encounter deepens the mystery surrounding his mother’s past. As brutal violence erupts and terrifying visions blur the line between nightmare and reality, Niall uncovers a sinister legacy of witchcraft, blood sacrifice and forbidden ritual.
AMERICAN DOLLHOUSE (UK Premiere)
(Times: Screen 1: 10.50pm, Screen 2: 11.05pm)
Director: John Valley. Cast: Hailley Lauren, Kelsey Pribilski, Richard C. Jones, Tinus Seaux. USA 2026. 87 mins.
Synopsis: Sarah inherits her childhood home, seeking solace from a chaotic city life marked by addiction and debt. But Sandy, a psychotic neighbour becomes disturbingly obsessed with her due to a haunting resemblance to Sandy’s deceased mother. As the fixation turns violent, Sarah’s friends begin disappearing, drawing her into a perverted, blood-soaked Christmas nightmare she may not survive.
SATURDAY 31 OCTOBER
TALKING TO A STRANGER (UK Premiere)
(Times: Screen 1: 11.00am, Screen 2: 11.30am)
Director: Adrian Garcia Bogliano. Cast: Gigi Saul Guerrero, Eugenio Rubio, Yago, Andreu Sandoval, Tatiana de Real. Mexico 2026. 90 mins.
Synopsis: Tortured by grief and guilt after seeing her young son burn to death in front of her, Patricia is unconsolable, her depression deepening with heavy medication. The pills keep her in a constant numb state and in this cloudy twilight she is confronted by an uncanny presence that wears the face of her lost child. Should we look towards darkness rather than away from it for consolation?
UNHOLY NIGHT (UK Premiere)
(Times: Screen 1: 1.20pm, Screen 2: 1.50pm)
Director: Michael Gabriele. Cast: Alissa Mahar, Al Sapienza, Celia Own, Cristina Rosato. Canada 2026. 91 mins.
Synopsis: Gino’s traditional family Christmas Eve turns into a bloody battle for survival when his long-dead grandma drops by and goes on a murderous rampage. Amid the chaos, Gino reunites with his ex, and the dysfunctional duo must avoid his dead Italian relatives popping up all around the neighbourhood as they search for a way to get rid of these Yuletide revenants and survive his family’s Noel celebrations.
THE DARK GETS IN (World Premiere)
(Times: Screen 1: 3.40pm, Screen 2: 4.10pm
Director: Sean Hogan. Cast: Charlotte Pyke, Cameron Lewis, Scott Burchell, Kezia Cotterell. UK 2026. 91 mins.
Synopsis: When a documentary team set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a young girl, events soon take an unexpected turn, leading the filmmakers down an increasingly dark and horrifying path. Prepare for the worst as Hogan explores the outer limits of the genre
BRUTE 1986 (World Premiere)
(Times: Screen 1: 6.00pm, Screen 2: 6.30pm)
Director: Marcel Walz. Cast: Bill Kaulitz, Lew Temple, Gigi Gustin, Sarah French. USA 2026. 80 mins.
Synopsis: Leather Kobra, a glam metal band, decide to film their new music video in an abandoned Western town. Ignoring the ‘No Trespassing’ signs, the rebellious group have no idea they are being watched by the notorious Birdy family. And when their paths do finally cross, let the onslaught of brutal bloodshed begin! Stars Bill Kaulitz, Tokio Hotel frontman, whose band is among Germany’s most successful music acts.
CRAWLERS (London Preview)
(Times: Screen 1: 8.10pm, Screen 2: 8.40pm)
Director: Ángel Gómez Hernández. Cast: Matilda Lutz, Gregg Sulkin, Melina Matthews,
William Miller. USA 2026. 86 mins.
Synopsis: Serena, the overworked manager of the Paradiso Palms apartment complex, discovers a mysterious death. But what begins as a suspected viral outbreak quickly spirals into something far more terrifying: a catastrophic infestation of venomous spiders spreading rapidly through the building. Armed only with her intimate knowledge of the building, Serena may be the only one of the residents who can keep everyone alive -- if she can confront her deepest fear.
DEAD HOWLING (UK Premiere)
(Times: Screen 1: 10.20pm, Screen 2: 10.45pm)
Director: John V. Soto. Cast: Ryan Kwanten, Temeura Morrison, Tom Burlinson, Tea
Heathcote-Marks. Australia 2026. 103 mins.
Synopsis: Carter is a lone werewolf fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. Taking vengeance for his murdered family, he spends his days hunting down the living dead, until he finds new purpose after saving the lives of two humans seeking a rumoured sanctuary for survivors. However, despite Carter now joining them on their journey, the group faces new and unimaginable dangers when they discover that their undead enemy is beginning to evolve.
