THE PATH Serves Up Psychological Horror in Time for Halloween
by Dr. Laura Wilhelm, LauraWil Intercultural
The well-developed countries of the world have replaced religion and the supernatural with the rule of law and science. When horrifying things happen, we seek out the police rather than priests. Logic and due process are expected to prevail.
These rational Western presumptions are challenged in Irish American director Tom Archdeacon’s new full-length horror film THE PATH that is said to be inspired by actual events occurring in 1987. It features two pretty blonde sisters (Tess Hanna and Taylor Colwell) who move in together at their family farm in Central New Jersey following their parents’ death in a car crash. They are menaced both by things that go bump in the night and suspiciously helpful men who may have ulterior motives. Both the police and their priest seem as baffled as they are by their unsettling experiences.
While pentagrams and strange spirits do make an appearance in THE PATH, the usual bouts of fake blood are notably lacking. “My goal was to make a truly scary film that delivers fright without cheap tropes and without blood and gore. I wanted to create subtle tensions and have them build from the opening moments until the end credits roll,” explains Archdeacon. “My vision was to produce a horror film that delivers terror through real drama and a twisting plot.”
Stonecutter Media acquired the North American rights to THE PATH. It will have its world theatrical premieres on September 12th in New Jersey and September 19th in Beverly Hills and be tentatively released digitally on September 24th on streaming/TVOD on VUDU, Amazon, Apple TV, and iTunes, as well as on most major cable and satellite on demand platforms in the US and Canada, including Dish, DirecTV, Spectrum, Xfinity, Sling TV, Verizon Fios, and Altice USA.
Frost Pictures’ Brian Arnott is producer of the film, while Steve Karel and Spero Stamboulis negotiated the deal on behalf of Stonecutter Media. Writer and director Tom Archdeacon has a featured role in the film.
Additional producers include Timothy Evan Jones, along with executive producers Stephen J. Scanapicco, Justin Bristoll, Al DeBatto, and Bob Hertlig. Directors of photography are Christopher Hewitson and Patrick Joseph Greene and the film’s score was composed by Michael James Romeo, renowned guitarist from the progressive metal band Symphony X.
The film was an official selection at the New Jersey HorrorCon Film Festival, Knoxville Film Festival, FANtastic Horror Film Festival and Garden State Film Festival.
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Photos courtesy of Frost Pictures
