press release
IN THEATERS AND ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS
AUGUST 21ST
A striking blend of arthouse sensibility and visceral folk horror, BLOOD SHINE stars Emily Bennett (Shelby Oaks) as Clara, a devout zealot who worships the light through solitary, sacred rituals in upstate New York. David Call (Insidious: The Red Door) plays Brighton West, a troubled horror filmmaker who retreats upstate to complete his screenplay, only to encounter Clara and become entangled in her increasingly extreme spiritual practices. Convinced that her sadistic ceremonies will transform him into a god, Clara draws Brighton into a hallucinatory descent into faith, flesh, and the sublime. The cast also includes Brendan Sexton III (Russian Doll), Larry Fessenden (MaXXXine), and Toby Poser (Hellbender). Fessenden and Bennett deliver standout performances in what critics have hailed as a bold step forward for the directing duo of Bennett and Brooks.
BLOOD SHINE is coming to theaters + VOD/Digital Platforms August 21st from Dark Sky Films.
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:
Set in a desolate expanse of upstate New York, Blood Shine centers around Clara, a religious zealot who worships light in lonely, sacred rituals. When problematic horror director Brighton West travels upstate to finish the screenplay for his next film, a chance encounter with Clara leads him into an hallucinatory web of faith, flesh, and the sublime.
About the Directors:
Emily Bennett is an Academy recognized screenwriter and FANGORIA Chainsaw Award winning director whose latest feature Blood Shine will be released worldwide by Dark Sky Films in August 2026. The visceral folk horror film arrives following a festival run that included FrightFest, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and Sitges. Bennett's debut feature Alone With You was produced by Theo James and Andrew Corkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene), and her work has screened at festivals including Fantastic Fest, BIFAN, Sitges and Fantasia. As an actress, Bennett appears in NEON's Shelby Oaks, produced by Mike Flanagan and directed by Chris Stuckmann. She is represented by DDO Artists Agency for acting and Nick McCabe at Anonymous Content for writing and directing.
Justin Brooks is an award winning filmmaker and cinematographer known for his boundary-pushing indie horror and documentary work. His first film (with co-director/ co-writer Emily Bennett) Alone with You, received a FANGORIA chainsaw award in 2023. The film was produced by Theo James and Andrew Corkin. His second feature Blood Shine hit festivals such as Telluride Horror Show, Fright Fest, Brooklyn Horror, Sitges and many others before being acquired by MPI/ Dark Sky films for a 2026 release. Beyond his Film work Justin has produced and shot many series for The History Channel, A&E, Vice and Vox media to name a few. Justins most recent series Destinations of The Damned with Zack Bagans hit #2 most streamed list on HBO MAX and his recent critically acclaimed Doc series Hunting Bundy: Chase for the Devil is also available on streaming.
BLOOD SHINE is coming to theaters + VOD/Digital Platforms August 21st from Dark Sky Films.
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:
Set in a desolate expanse of upstate New York, Blood Shine centers around Clara, a religious zealot who worships light in lonely, sacred rituals. When problematic horror director Brighton West travels upstate to finish the screenplay for his next film, a chance encounter with Clara leads him into an hallucinatory web of faith, flesh, and the sublime.
About the Directors:
Emily Bennett is an Academy recognized screenwriter and FANGORIA Chainsaw Award winning director whose latest feature Blood Shine will be released worldwide by Dark Sky Films in August 2026. The visceral folk horror film arrives following a festival run that included FrightFest, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and Sitges. Bennett's debut feature Alone With You was produced by Theo James and Andrew Corkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene), and her work has screened at festivals including Fantastic Fest, BIFAN, Sitges and Fantasia. As an actress, Bennett appears in NEON's Shelby Oaks, produced by Mike Flanagan and directed by Chris Stuckmann. She is represented by DDO Artists Agency for acting and Nick McCabe at Anonymous Content for writing and directing.
Justin Brooks is an award winning filmmaker and cinematographer known for his boundary-pushing indie horror and documentary work. His first film (with co-director/ co-writer Emily Bennett) Alone with You, received a FANGORIA chainsaw award in 2023. The film was produced by Theo James and Andrew Corkin. His second feature Blood Shine hit festivals such as Telluride Horror Show, Fright Fest, Brooklyn Horror, Sitges and many others before being acquired by MPI/ Dark Sky films for a 2026 release. Beyond his Film work Justin has produced and shot many series for The History Channel, A&E, Vice and Vox media to name a few. Justins most recent series Destinations of The Damned with Zack Bagans hit #2 most streamed list on HBO MAX and his recent critically acclaimed Doc series Hunting Bundy: Chase for the Devil is also available on streaming.
BLOOD SHINE
Directed by: Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks
Written by: Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks
Produced by: Alexander Schepsman, Zeus Kontoyannis, Garrett Fennelly, Aaron Koontz,
Ashleigh Snead
Starring: Emily Bennett (Shelby Oaks, Alone With You, The Mortuary Assistant), David Call (Insidious: The Red Door, The Magicians, Depraved), Brendan Saxton III (Russian Doll, Poker Face), Larry Fessenden (MaXXXine, Good Boy, The Good Mother), Toby Poser (Hellbender, Where the Devil Roams, Mother of Flies), Kyle Minshew (Canoe Dig It?), Maurice P. Kerry (Beyond the Gates, Store Run)
Genre: Folk Horror, Psychological Thriller
Distributor: Dark Sky Films
Run Time: 91 minutes
Directed by: Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks
Written by: Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks
Produced by: Alexander Schepsman, Zeus Kontoyannis, Garrett Fennelly, Aaron Koontz,
Ashleigh Snead
Starring: Emily Bennett (Shelby Oaks, Alone With You, The Mortuary Assistant), David Call (Insidious: The Red Door, The Magicians, Depraved), Brendan Saxton III (Russian Doll, Poker Face), Larry Fessenden (MaXXXine, Good Boy, The Good Mother), Toby Poser (Hellbender, Where the Devil Roams, Mother of Flies), Kyle Minshew (Canoe Dig It?), Maurice P. Kerry (Beyond the Gates, Store Run)
Genre: Folk Horror, Psychological Thriller
Distributor: Dark Sky Films
Run Time: 91 minutes
WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING...
“Beautiful but deadly. Grandiose settings give way to gratuitous violence, highlighting the religious practice at the very heart of the movie – embracing the light and shunning the dark.” - FILMHOUNDS
"A thoughtful, thoroughly discombobulating horror which feels like a breath of fresh air, or perhaps like the coming of a new dawn.” - SCI FI NOW
"A beautiful chamberpiece with added cult affectations… utterly absorbing and further excellence from Bennett and Brooks.” - THE HOLLYWOOD NEWS
"Beautiful, sweaty and messy character drama that will leave you breathless." - SCARED SHEEPLESS
“Beautiful but deadly. Grandiose settings give way to gratuitous violence, highlighting the religious practice at the very heart of the movie – embracing the light and shunning the dark.” - FILMHOUNDS
"A thoughtful, thoroughly discombobulating horror which feels like a breath of fresh air, or perhaps like the coming of a new dawn.” - SCI FI NOW
"A beautiful chamberpiece with added cult affectations… utterly absorbing and further excellence from Bennett and Brooks.” - THE HOLLYWOOD NEWS
"Beautiful, sweaty and messy character drama that will leave you breathless." - SCARED SHEEPLESS
RSS Feed