By Jon Donnis
Tubi FrightFest is returning to London’s ODEON Luxe West End in Leicester Square for its annual Halloween event, with two days of horror, sci-fi and fantasy cinema taking place on Friday 30th and Saturday 31st October.
Following its five-day August festival, the 20th edition of the Halloween event will feature nine premieres from five countries, spanning Europe, North and South America, and Australia/Oceania. Every film in the line-up will be screened twice across the two days.
The Halloween weekend opens with the UK premiere of Freaks Part II, from Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, the co-directors of Final Destination Bloodlines. The pair return to the mutant world of their 2018 cult hit Freaks with a sequel that promises a more intense and gory take on the Canadian sci-fi horror story. Both directors will be attending the screening.
The festival then heads to Cornwall for the World premiere of The Cull, J.P. Davidson’s gritty Halloween folk horror starring Craig Russell, who FrightFest audiences will remember from his role in Protein. Members of the cast and crew are also expected to attend.
Friday’s programme concludes with the UK premiere of American Dollhouse, described by FrightFest as the ‘meanest slasher of the year’. Drawing on Psycho and Black Christmas, the film introduces Sandy, an unhinged neighbour who is presented as one of the event’s most disturbing antagonists.
Saturday begins with the UK premiere of Talking to a Stranger, a supernatural thriller directed by Adrián García Bogliano. The film stars acclaimed filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero in her first leading role.
The Christmas season then arrives early with the UK premiere of Unholy Night from Canadian director Michael Gabriele. The film promises a gruesome festive horror ride with echoes of The Evil Dead, bringing some decidedly bloody Christmas cheer to Leicester Square.
Sean Hogan follows with the World premiere of The Dark Gets In. Hogan has a long association with FrightFest through films including The Devil’s Business, Isle of Dogs and Daddy’s Girl. His latest film combines found footage and faux documentary elements with a claustrophobic horror thriller. Hogan will attend alongside members of the cast and crew.
Marcel Walz then brings his latest splatter offering to FrightFest with the World premiere of Brute 1986, an ultra-violent sequel to Brute 1976. Walz, whose previous FrightFest appearances include Blood Feast, Blind and Pretty Boy, will be in attendance.
The penultimate screening is a special presentation of Crawlers, which follows residents of an apartment complex battling to survive an infestation of rapidly multiplying venomous spiders. Matilda Lutz leads the cast in what promises to be an intensely claustrophobic body horror experience.
The Halloween event concludes with the UK premiere of Dead Howling, an action-packed post-apocalyptic horror that pits werewolves against zombies. The film comes from the producer of cult favourite Dog Soldiers and stars Ryan Kwanten, known for True Blood and Dead Silence, alongside Temuera Morrison, whose credits include The Mandalorian and Aquaman.
Ryan Gillett, Tubi’s Marketing Director, International, said: “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.”
FrightFest co-director Greg Day 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 for Tubi FrightFest’s Halloween event go on sale at noon on Saturday 3rd October.
Prices: Two-day pass - £85 | Friday 30 Oct Day pass - £36 | Saturday 31 Oct Day pass - £65 | Single tickets - £14.99
https://frightfest.co.uk/tickets/
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.
