There's no shortage of Lord of the Flies inspired stories in film and TV, but you'll rarely see one as strange, focused, and disquieting as Ladyworld. Set at a sleepover that quickly turns into a post-apocalypse tinged survival story, Ladyworld finds a gang of mismatched teenage girls rapidly devolving into factionalized psychos when they get trapped underground after a mysterious natural disaster.

I caught the film during its festival tour at Fantastic Fest last year, where it was met with a bit of a divided response. It's a super psychologically draining film that seems targetted to unsettle viewers, from the piercing score to operatic performances, but it's also one of those films with such a distinct, singular vision, you can't help but be impressed.

Written and directed by Amanda Kramer, Ladyworld stars Maya Hawke (Stranger Things Season 3), Ariela Barer (Runaways), Annalise Basso (Captain Fantastic), and Ryan Simpkins (Brigsby Bear). Cleopatra Entertainment will release Ladyworld in theaters nationwide on August 2nd, followed by a VOD / Home Entertainment DVD release on August 27th.  Get a glimpse into the lipstick-coated madness in our exclusive trailer debut below.

Here's the synopsis:

Ladyworld stars Ariela Barer, Annalise Basso (CAPTAIN FANTASTIC), Ryan Simpkins (BRIGSBY BEAR, THE HOUSE), Odessa Adlon, Maya Hawke (STRANGER THINGS Season 3), Tatsumi Romano, Zoe Casabere and Atheena Frizzell. Written by Amanda Kramer and Benjamin Shearn, and produced by Love & Death Productions’ Leal Naim and Thomas R. Burke alongside Amanda Kramer, the film is a modernized all-girl story inspired by LORD OF THE FLIES. When a group of girls get stuck in a house during a slumber party due to an apocalyptic event, stress and fear cause them to degenerate into savagery.