A terrifying fight for survival awaits Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe in River, an upcoming slasher thriller that pits a group of siblings against a mysterious, masked killer. Billed as a visceral new take on the horror genre, the film comes from the producers behind Backrooms and Obsession and marks the directorial debut of Joshua Giuliano.
The film’s official synopsis sets the tone for the nightmare ahead: “The sun is down. The boat is dead. There’s no cell service. And there’s someone standing, staring, from the shore.”
The story follows estranged siblings who reunite after their father’s death. Hoping to honor his memory, they embark on a boat trip to scatter his ashes at his favorite spot along a secluded river in their rural hometown. As they journey through the familiar landscape, the siblings begin reconnecting and sharing memories of their father, who once described the river as a place where they could “forget everything and just be.”
Their peaceful reunion takes a sinister turn when they spot a mysterious, masked figure watching them from the riverbank. What begins as an unsettling encounter quickly escalates into a terrifying ordeal when the stranger plunges into the water and chases one of the siblings. With danger closing in, the family’s emotional journey becomes a desperate struggle to survive as the relentless killer hunts them down.
Giuliano wrote and directed River, with the project marking his first feature as a director. Alongside Levy and Rothe, the cast features Max Mattern and Dane DiLiegro.
The film’s producing team includes Steven Schneider, Nick Antosca, and Alex Hedlund. Jeffrey Tinnell, Robert Tinnell, Matt Brodlie, Jonathan Kier, Ben Ross, and Jason Blum serve as executive producers.
River made its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Following its festival debut, Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Atomic Monster acquired the film. It has also earned an impressive early reception from critics, holding a 94% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 32 reviews.
Horror fans won’t have to wait too long to see the nightmare unfold on the big screen. River is scheduled to arrive in theaters on January 15, 2027.
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