PREVIEW: Rise of the Rats (2026 Film) - Starring Grace Gallagher, Mark Collier, Tania Staite, Jamie Nowski, Shayli Reagan, Darren Le Fevre, Adrian Annis

 

Preview by Jon Donnis

RISE OF THE RATS is a new horror-punk feature from Black Mandala, directed by Stephen Roach, whose previous work includes The Crucifix: Blood of the Exorcist and Cookster: The Darkest Days.

The film follows Kayla Thornhill, a rebellious young punk who travels with her estranged father, Jack, to Ditchfield, the town where he grew up. Their uneasy return soon takes a darker turn when Kayla discovers that the town is dealing with a relentless rat infestation.

There is more to Ditchfield's problem than an abundance of vermin, however. As Kayla begins digging into the town's history, she uncovers whispers of a brutal act of collective violence committed decades earlier, along with a secret that the residents have spent years trying to bury.

That buried history has given rise to the Rat Man, a grotesque embodiment of the town's guilt, violence and unresolved trauma. With hordes of bloodthirsty rats at his command, he begins taking revenge, sending Ditchfield into chaos as the death toll rises.

Kayla is left caught between the horrors unfolding around her and the truth about her father's connection to the town's darkest secret. As the past begins forcing its way back into the present, she must confront what really happened in Ditchfield and the consequences of leaving it buried.

Directed by Roach, RISE OF THE RATS draws inspiration from 1980s genre favourites including The Lost Boys, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Gremlins, while combining horror with dark humour, punk energy and a distinctly British setting.

Starring Grace Gallagher, Mark Collier, Tania Staite, Jamie Nowski, Shayli Reagan, Darren Le Fevre, Adrian Annis

Coming Soon

PREVIEW: Play Dead (2026 Film) - Stars Paula Brasca

By Jon Donnis

A single room, a masked killer, and the thin line between life and death. That is the brutal premise at the centre of Play Dead, an upcoming survival horror thriller arriving on UK digital platforms on 9 March 2026 through Seven Tales.

Directed by Carlos Goitia, known for 100 Candles Game: The Last Possession, the film leans into the grim intensity of classic horror inspirations such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Collector. Early festival screenings have already introduced audiences to its stark and claustrophobic approach, with the story focusing almost entirely on one woman’s desperate attempt to stay alive.

The nightmare begins when Alison, played by Paula Brasca, wakes up inside a decaying basement. Injured, frightened, and surrounded by the bodies of murdered women, she quickly realises that her only chance of survival is to blend in with the dead. Remaining perfectly still becomes a matter of life or death as a masked killer moves through the room.

As more victims are dragged into the basement, Alison is forced to maintain the terrifying illusion while quietly searching for a way out. Every movement carries the risk of discovery, and every moment stretches the tension further. The situation becomes even more disturbing when she uncovers a grotesque ritual taking place in the house above.

What follows promises a relentless game of patience and nerve. Alison must keep up the charade while planning an escape from a place that seems designed for suffering. One mistake could expose her, yet doing nothing means waiting for the same fate that claimed the others.

With its stripped down premise and suffocating atmosphere, Play Dead aims to deliver a tightly wound horror experience built on suspense and dread. If the tension holds as tightly as the premise suggests, this could be a chilling addition to the survival thriller genre when it arrives on digital platforms this March.

Play Dead is on UK digital 9 March from Seven Tales

Apple TV - https://apple.co/40KDcsK