The horror genre is having another great year so far in 2022. Besides some returning classic franchises like Scream, films like X and Shudder’s The Cellar have been effectively scaring audiences for the last few months. One of the upcoming films that looks to continue that horrifying trend is the thriller The Aviary. The cult-centric terror written/directed by Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite releases in theaters, on VOD, and on Digital later this month on April 29. The film dropped its first trailer last month, and now we have our first clip titled “He’s Here” that further teases the psychological terrors that await horror fans.
The general gist of the film sees Malin Akerman’s Jillian and Lorenza Izzo’s Blair on the run from their former cult led by Chris Messina’s Seth. They are two days from civilization and in the middle of the desert. The 90-second clip sees Blair in some sort of dark cavern and the film’s unsettling atmosphere is apparent right at the start of the scene. Blair sees someone she recognizes, Delilah, and the rest of the clip is her slowly following this mysterious woman into the growing darkness. A colorful doorway is revealed at the end of the path and the clip ends with Blair hearing Seth’s voice as well as seeing his silhouette. This is all before she seemingly snaps back into reality.
The clip is very simple, but it does a lot to effectively set up the anxiously bleak tone of the film. Whether it is the black shadows contrasting off Blair's lantern and the trippy colors of the doorway or Delilah’s eerie lines of dialogue, the scene tells you everything you need to know about this film before going into it. This is going to be a story about survival and trying to escape the trauma. The feeling of being watched throughout this particular scene is very chilling and the cult element to this story only adds to that unshakable thought.
While you will not know this from the clip, Blair appears to be in denial about their current dire situation. In the trailer, Blair is seen fighting with Jillian as she does not believe they were in a cult. This will probably make her the most vulnerable out of the two. The trailer also teased a handful of nerve-racking visions that will be experienced throughout the film. From how this clip ends with its quick editing and Blair going from pitch black darkness to complete daylight, it does seem like this is one of the many dream sequences in the film.
The Aviary is going to be one of those horror films where you can not trust anything or anyone. Even yourself. If this atmospheric clip is any Indication, then horror fans are in for a real visually traumatic treat. The Aviary releases in theaters, on VOD, and on Digital on April 29. You can watch the full clip and read the official plot synopsis for this psychologically disturbing horror thriller down below.
Malin Akerman and Chris Messina star in the twisted journey of two women's desperate flee to escape the clutches of Skylight, an insidious cult. Lured in by the promise of "freedom" in the isolated desert campus called "The Aviary", Jillian (Akerman) and Blair (Lorenzo Izzo) join forces to escape in hopes of real freedom. Consumed by fear and paranoia, they can't shake the feeling that they are being followed by the cult's leader, Seth (Messina), a man as seductive as he is controlling. The more distance the pair gains from the cult, the more Seth holds control of their minds. With supplies dwindling and their senses failing, Jillian and Blair are faced with a horrifying question: how do you run from an enemy who lives inside your head?