No work and all play: The Overlook Film Festival horror line-up
The Overlook Film Festival arrived in 2018 with a fresh venue and a stacked program that turned New Orleans into ground zero for horror fans. Forty features and shorts filled four days at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel from April 19 to 22, trading the misty Timberline Lodge of the inaugural year for a building long rumored to host actual spirits. The move from Oregon’s haunted-hotel backdrop to America’s most haunted city felt deliberate, and the schedule rewarded the gamble with premieres, cult revivals, and live events that blurred the line between screen and séance.
Festival Evolution and Venue History
The 2017 edition anchored itself at Timberline Lodge, the exterior location for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. That single-year residency gave the festival its name and its visual identity. By 2018 the team relocated permanently to New Orleans, where the Bourbon Orleans Hotel supplied both lodging and lore. Later editions settled into the Prytania Theatres at Canal Place and the historic Prytania Theatre, keeping the programming footprint compact while the city’s above-ground cemeteries and wrought-iron balconies supplied atmosphere between screenings.
Opening Night Film
Unfriended: Dark Web
Stephen Susco’s sequel to the innovative 2014 Skype horror borrows key elements from the first film while telling its own macabre, shocking story. It all kicks off when a cyber café attendant who (perhaps foolishly) borrows a laptop from the lost & found for his weekly Skype game night with pals discovers the previous owner will stop at nothing to retrieve it from him. The film premiered at SXSW in March 2018; the Overlook screening featured an alternate ending that later played randomly in theaters. Theatrical release followed on July 20.
Centerpiece Film
St. Agatha
The world premiere of the latest joint from Darren Lynn Bousman (The Devil's Carnival) brings to life a period piece centering around a troubled woman who finds herself held hostage by a coven of vicious nuns. Post-festival reviews landed in mixed territory, with some critics praising the atmosphere while audiences found the nunsploitation angle more familiar than fresh.
Closing Night Film
Hereditary
Starring Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine) & Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects), Ari Aster’s atmospheric horror sent shockwaves through the Sundance Film Festival where it premiered. Easily the most hyped horror of 2018 (thus far), Hereditary follows a family tormented by a relentless, cursed terror following the death of their reclusive grandmother. It looks absolutely chilling – and utterly unmissable. The film went on to gross roughly ninety million worldwide on a ten-million-dollar budget and became A24’s highest-grossing release at the time. It still appears on most lists of the best horror films of the twenty-first century.
Legacy of Hereditary
Since its Overlook closing-night bow, Hereditary has aged into a modern benchmark. Directors and actors cite its family-drama structure and practical dread as influences, and the film’s box-office performance helped A24 greenlight further elevated horror projects. Festival programmers still program it alongside newer titles to show how one film recalibrated expectations for studio horror.
Feature Film Presentations
Arizona
Directed by Jonathan Watson, Arizona follows a murderous rampage committed by an unhinged homeowner (Danny McBride) against a scrupulous realtor (Rosemarie Dewitt) in this dark, comedic thriller. Also stars Luke Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums) & Lolli Sorenson (Parks and Recreation).
Beast
Michael Pearce’s debut thriller about a disturbed woman caught between her oppressive family, the arrival of a hot stranger, and a series of suspiciously-timed murders in their isolated community has drawn critical acclaim for its brutal, sexy storytelling.
Blood Fest
With a cast including Robbie Kay (Fugitive Pieces), Tate Donovan (Argo), and Zachary Levi (Chuck), Blood Fest offers a hilarious parody of horror culture sure to delight fans of the genre in this movie from Owen Egerton (Follow). When the most hyped horror fest in the country traps fans within its grounds and starts killing them on mass, only a gang of savvy teenagers (armed with the knowledge of a thousand horror movies) can fight through the bloodbath to survive.
Blue My Mind
Described as being “equal parts tender, surreal, and grotesque,” the debut feature from actor-turned-director Lisa Brühlmann’s coming-of-age horror focuses on a 15-year-girl struggling with terrifying changes to her body.
Caniba
Sensory ethnography documentarians Lucien Castaing-Taylor (Leviathan) & Véréna Paravel present a disquieting and unprecedented interview with Issei Sagawa: the notorious Japanese cannibal turned Manga author turned pornography director turned sushi critic. He does it all, folks!
Don’t Leave Home
The latest joint from indie troubadour Michael Tully (Septien) follows an American artist accepting a strange invitation to a secluded Irish manor. Delving into the bottomless intrigue of sinister urban legends and obsessive explorations of the unknown, Don’t Leave Home could be the offbeat indie horror hit of the year.
Downrange
Ryūhei Kitamura (The Midnight Meat Train) is back with another macabre, murderous, and maniacal vision involving a group of stranded carpoolers suddenly besieged by an attack from an unseen (and skilled) shooter.
The Farm
Twisting the horror trope of a couple taking a wrong turn into a small town, The Farm offers a disturbing manifesto about food production, full of eerie, insidious imagery and atmosphere. The world premiere of Hans Stjernswärd’s debut feature is not one to be missed.
Ghost Stories
This British anthology from Jeremy Dyson & Andy Nyman stars Nyman alongside Martin Freeman (Black Panther), Alex Lawther (Freak Show), and Paul Whitehouse (Alice in Wonderland). Adapted from the hit stage play of the same name, Ghost Stories follows a TV investigator who finds himself out of his depth while digging into three cases of ghoulish hauntings.
Good Manners
Focusing on a near destitute nurse who takes care of a wealthy, isolated pregnant woman whose progressively strange behavior turns into a rabid hunger, Good Manners offers a surprising, sophisticated, and engaging twist on classic genre stories.
Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich
The world premiere of the latest ludicrous horror romp about a troupe of murderous, animated puppets features a fresh, irreverent Nazi twist. Starring horror icon Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator) alongside Thomas Lennon (Santa Clarita Diet), Michael Paré (The Virgin Suicides), and Udo Kier (Downsizing), the movie offers a sadistic reimagining of the Charles Band classic and pays homage to the Full Moon features of the late 80s and early 90s.
The Ranger
Longtime indie horror producer Jenn Wexler’s directorial debut offers a punk rock take on the traditional slasher film. Starring Chloë Levine (The Transfiguration), Granit Lahu (The Sinner), Jeremy Pope, and Jeremy Holm (Mr. Robot), the movie sees a band of punks hiding out from the law only to stumble upon a deranged park ranger with a malicious approach to justice.
Revenge
Subverting the expectations of rape-revenge film tropes, Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge is an explosive assault on misogynistic culture that stunned audiences at the Toronto & Sundance film festivals.
Satan’s Slaves
Billed as a remake of the 1982 Indonesian iteration of Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm, this Indonesian horror from Joko Anwar (A Copy of My Mind) sees a famous singer leading a pack of rabid spirits to torment a local family.
Sex Madness Revealed
Taking the form of an audio commentary presented over a little known 1938 STD propaganda film, the world premiere of Tim Kirk’s latest experiment features Patton Oswalt (Young Adult), Rob Zabrecky (Lost River), and an interview with the descendant of the original motion picture (who harbors a nefarious secret).
Upgrade
Fan favorite Leigh Whannell (Insidious: Chapter 3) packs action and gore into this foray into a science fiction dystopia. The movie follows an experimental procedure involving a sentient computer chip fused into the body & mind of a paralyzed man (Logan Marshall-Green) whose subsequent fight for vengeance spirals into a terrifying endgame.
Vampire Clay
This campy, practical effects extravaganza from FX artist-turned-filmmaker Sôichi Umezawa (ABCs of Death 2) sees a group of unwitting art school students in a brutal showdown against a pack of evil modeling clay.
What Keeps You Alive
A quiet vacation turns into a deadly game of cat & mouse in Colin Minihan’s claustrophobic survivalist thriller in which a wedding anniversary trip is interrupted by the sudden appearance of the wife’s childhood best friend.
Wolfman’s Got Nards: A Documentary
André Gower’s loving tribute to 1987 cult classic The Monster Squad features endearing interviews with fans including Shane Black (The Nice Guys), Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Adam F. Goldberg (Fanboys), Adam Green (Hatchet), and Joe Lynch (Mayhem), delving into the heart of the film’s enduring magic and fandom.
Unfriended: Dark Web Release and Variants
The opening-night slot gave Unfriended: Dark Web an early platform before its wider July rollout. The variant ending screened at Overlook later became part of the film’s randomized theatrical experiment, letting different audiences see different conclusions depending on the print. Critics noted the technical polish even when the overall reception stayed mixed.
Short Film Presentations
Amy
Amy provides a surreal and distorted glimpse into a 90s killing spree inspired by America’s most prolific female serial killer, L. Gustavo Cooper.
The Beaning
An experimental sports film exploring a sinister theory surrounding the death of Cleveland baseball player Ray Chapman in 1920 and subsequent rise of the Yankee dynasty.
Beastly Things
A young street artist learns what really makes monsters after an encounter with some local schoolchildren.
Blood Runs Down
A vigilant daughter must decide between protecting herself or saving her mother from a terrifying demonic transition.
Cerulia
A young woman wishes to bid farewell to her childhood home and her past, but a malevolent presence refuses to let her leave.
Coyote
A coyote seeks revenge on the wolves who viciously murdered his family.
Good Morning
A young woman and her father adapt to unexpected, terrifying changes.
Hair Wolf
Local residents in a black hair salon stave off a strange new monster in a gentrified neighborhood: white women sucking the lifeblood from black culture.
Latched
A choreographer unknowingly awakens a vile fairy corpse with heinous intentions while trying to wean her toddler at a cottage retreat.
Milk
A young teen makes a startling realization upon the discovery of his sleeping mother during a trip to the kitchen for a simple glass of milk.
Möbius
A teen poet half remembers a tale of magic and mutation while his beloved lies dead in a stream.
Pan
A young woman’s obsession turns her into an animal.
The Plague
A father escapes from a nursing home and returns to his former house only to harbor a secret and a surprise guest.
The Sermon
A powerful hate preacher delivers a sermon to his isolated church community. But his daughter has a secret threatening to destroy all of them.
Tammy’s Tiny Tea Time (Episode 1: Strangers)
Played out in the fractured psyche of a middle-aged woman who refuses to grow up and has spent her life talking to inanimate objects (and a dying box turtle) in her parents’ house.
Thursday Night
An elusive stranger pays Bimbo the Dog a visit in the middle of the night to deliver a vital message.
We Summoned a Demon
They just wanted to be cool. Instead, they got a demon.
Virtual Reality Presentations
Campfire Creepers: The Skull of Sam
Inspired by cult classics like Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt, Campfire Creepers invites viewers to join the fire circle of Camp Coyote as a group of kids take turns telling spooky tales.
Delusion: Lies Within
A fully immersive 360° episodic story set in 40’s American South, Delusion: Lies Within follows two fans who must try and save author Elena Fitzgerald from her own literary nightmare.
Masters Of The Sun
From the mind of the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am comes this futuristic B-boy thriller starring Queen Latifah (Chicago), Rakim, Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained), Ice-T, and KRS-One. The interactive comic book series features thirteen episodes and follows an Easy LA hip-hop group facing off against an ancient god.
Night Night
An immersive journey to the nightmares of your childhood, Night Night offers a terrifying, sensory trip to dreamland.
Wolves In The Walls (Chapter 1)
Forging a groundbreaking blend of film, theatre, audience agency, and sleight of hand, Pete Billington’s adaptation of material by Neil Gaiman (American Gods) casts you as an active performer in a narrative when you go on a quest with the central character.
Immersive and Live Programming Continuity
The 2018 slate already signaled that Overlook would never be just a film festival. BLACKOUT, the Overlook Immersive Game, Paperbacks From Hell, and Summerland Lost: A Ghost Story all returned in later years, joined by new one-person shows, late-night dinners, and pop-up performances. Recent editions still list more than ten live events per festival, keeping the original mix of VR, theater, and interactive mystery intact.
Live Events
BLACKOUT
The world premiere of what The New York Times called “the most extreme theater event of the year” is an immersive fear experience for adults over eighteen to walk through completely alone.
The Canon Podcast Live
Amy Nicholson hosts a guest debate and discussion about what horror films should be included in the list of all-time greats.
In Another Room
Offering exclusive access to one of the rooms of the Bourbon Orleans Hotel, guests will be invited to meet a previous inhabitant and come face-to-face with the unknown. The event invites those who consider themselves particularly attuned to psychic forces and supernatural presence to get involved.
Infinitely Dinner Society: Midnight Snacks
This late night pairing of food & art sees a specially designed piece based on the cosmic horror of the multiverse feature Bananas Foster made from Louisiana cane sugar and rum. What’s not to love?
The Overlook Immersive Game
The Overlook Film Festival’s signature event is an interactive horror mystery featuring live actors, hidden clues, tactical puzzles, and surprising twists that each player can engage with at their own level of comfort and curiosity.
Paperbacks From Hell
Writer Grady Hendrix’s live presentation of his recently released book about 70s horror paperbacks is an oral history of killer jellyfish, killer babies, and killer crabs with a side of Nazi leprechauns & skeleton doctors.
Summerland Lost: A Ghost Story
Hendrix will also be delivering his one-man show about psychic teenagers and shaved cats at the festival.
Overlook’s 2018 edition proved the festival could travel, expand, and still feel like a midnight séance held in plain sight. The Bourbon Orleans may have given way to the Prytania screens, yet the same mix of premieres, cult nods, and live chills keeps drawing crowds back to New Orleans each spring. The lineup that year set a template the festival still follows: serious scares, playful detours, and the sense that the next corridor might lead somewhere you did not expect.
