Shudder has just released the official trailer for their original film Slapface, which will premiere on the streamer on February 3. Telling the story of a bullied boy who gets in over his head when he begins a dangerous friendship with a monstrous creature, the indie horror flick is directed by up-and-coming horror filmmaker Jeremiah Kip, and stars August Maturo, Mike Manning, Dan Hedaya, Mirabelle Lee, Lukas Hassel, Libe Barer, Bianca D’Ambrosio, and Chiara D’Ambrosio.
The trailer jumps right into business with young Lucas (Maturo) being attacked by several female bullies, while an older man explains to Lucas's older brother and caretaker that their late mother would be disappointed in young Lucas. Lucas and his brother then seem to play a "game" where the one slaps the other. Soon, Lucas has a frightening, yet somehow endearing encounter with a ghostly figure covered in a shawl of sorts. As the trailer progresses, it seems as though Lucas is befriended by the figure, with rather violent results.
Slapface originated as a short film directed by Kip, which ended up having a two-year festival run. The only major difference in plot between the short and the film is that the character of Lucas' older brother was his father in the short. The film had its virtual world premiere last March at the Cinequest Film Festival, where it received the honor of being the only horror film to be included in the top seven trending films at the festival. It also won the “Best Audience Award” for “Best Horror/Thriller/Sci-Fi" film at the same festival.
Shudder is distributing the film in several other countries on top of the U.S., including the U.K., Ireland, and Australia. Shudder is a mainstay for independent horror cinema, releasing several unique horror titles each month exclusively. On top of Slapface, some other Shudder originals that will drop in February include period horror All The Moons, supernatural shocker They Live in the Grey, and festival darling Hellbender.
Slapface premieres on Shudder on February 3. Check out the new trailer below:
And check out the film's synopsis:
"After the death of his mother, Lucas, a loner who lives in a rundown home with his brother Tom, regularly seeks solace in the nearby woods. With his only “friends” being a group of female bullies, he keeps to himself most of the time. But, after a strange encounter with an inhuman monster, Lucas begins to withdraw from others. When the two reach a tentative trust, a bizarre friendship is born, and Lucas is swept up in a series of primal adventures."