Arrow Films To Release Existential Religious Horror ‘The Righteous’
Arrow Films announced that they have acquired distribution rights in the UK, Eire, and the US for the extraordinary chiller The Righteous. This is an award-winning standout on the genre festival circuit.
This is the first feature from director-actor-writer Mark O’Brien (Ready or Not). The film stars O’Brien, Henry Czerny (Ready or Not, Mission Impossible) and Mimi Kuzyk (The Day After Tomorrow).
The Righteous tells the story of Frederic (Czerny) a grieving man struggling with his faith. One night, he helps an injured young man, Aaron Smith (O’Brien) who stumbles onto his property, claiming to be lost in the woods. Frederic and his wife (Kuzyk) invite the man to stay for the night. But Frederic soon begins to have doubts about this enigmatic stranger’s story and his motives for being there. When Aaron asks Frederic to commit an unspeakable deed, it becomes clear that the man is not who he seems. He’s was sent to test the very limits of Frederic’s existence.
Related: ‘The Righteous’ Interview: Mark O’Brien on His Stunning Directorial Debut
The Righteous had its World Premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in 2021. There it won the Cheval Noir and Silver Award. The film has since gone on to win a Bloodie at the 2021 Blood in the Snow Film Festival, and the Grimmfest Award at the 2021 Grimmfest.
In his review out of Fantasia, Dread Central’s managing editor Josh Korngut wrote:
The Righteous presents a totally fresh spin on the call from inside-the-house horror trope. The heartbreaking performances by Henry Czerny and Mimi Kuzyk also elevate the film from a standard religious drama into the realms of a Lovecraftian terror.
Director of Content Francesco Simeoni at Arrow commented: “We’re delighted to be working with Vortex Media and The Righteous creative team on the forthcoming release. Mark O’Brien has put together a highly impressive debut with strong performances from himself and his stars. We knew upon seeing it at Fantasia that it would be perfect for Arrow fans”.
Mark O’Brien shared: “As a dedicated fan of Arrow Films, I am beyond thrilled to be partnering with them on my debut feature film and continuing my relationship with Vortex Media. Arrow Films are a filmmaker and cinephile’s dream. It’s an honor to be a part of their tremendous catalog.”
Mark O’Neill and Allison White produced The Righteous. Marc Hamou, Walter Lawlor, David Miller and Mark O’Brien served as executive producers.
Arrow Films is targeting a summer release on digital in the UK, US and Eire. They’ll also release deluxe collector’s edition Blu-ray in the UK, US, CA and Eire as part of its celebrated Arrow Video brand. Vortex Media is planning a summer theatrical and digital release across Canada.
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