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Touch Me challenges traditional categorization, provoking immediate intrigue. On the surface, it appears as a psychosexual sci-fi horror film, but like its shape-shifting alien Brian—who transitions from compassionate healer to menacing predator—it transforms into something more complex and disturbing. Writer-director Addison Heimann, known for Hypochondriac (2022), presents a film where genre and narrative intertwine like an unsettling hallucination.

The story centers on Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley), a struggling young woman managing Ocd and past trauma, who becomes connected with an alien—Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci)—whose touch temporarily alleviates her deepest psychological burdens. Joey and her close friend Craig (Jordan Gavaris) become entangled in the seductive, mysterious allure of this otherworldly being. It represents intimacy, healing, and control—and ultimately, profound complications.

The film explores deeper themes about contemporary experiences, examining how individuals confront inner turmoil through external mechanisms. It critiques societal patterns of seeking comfort and escape, questioning our approaches to wellness,...

Writer/Director Addison Heimann’s feature directorial debut, Hypochondriac, wore its Donnie Darko influence on its sleeves while tackling devastating themes of mental health via the unreliable narrator. The filmmaker continues his unique exploration of mental health from a genre lens in his sophomore feature, Touch Me, a psychosexual sci-fi horror movie that draws from retro Japanese horror, exploitation cinema, and perhaps even hentai. It infuses its depiction of a toxic friendship curdled by trauma, codependency, and addiction with vibrant style and campy fun.

Touch Me’s unassuming opening scene sets the stage. Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley) recounts to her therapist the harrowing sexual encounter with a lover who got too rough, prompting her to flee the relationship and take refuge with her gay best friend Craig (Jordan Gavaris). It’s the type of sensitive subject matter, relayed by Dudley with an appropriate matter-of-fact sincerity, that signals a much heavier feature ahead.

Have you ever been so excited by one specific person that all you wanted was for them to touch you – any part of you – because the feeling was like being struck by electricity? At the other end of the scale of life experiences, have you ever been so miserable that you seem to have a voice inside your head all the time reminding you of it? What if the former experience could cure the latter? Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley) finds something truly sensational in Brian (Lou Taylor Pucchi), as we see her explaining to her therapist at the start of this film. It might have been perfect, if only he’d respected her boundaries; if only she hadn’t been afraid that her head might explode.

Part of the Midnight strand at Sundance 2025, Touch Me is the latest work by Addison Heimann, whose début, Hypochondriac, wowed the...

Following his 2022 film Hypochondriac, writer-director Addison Heimann’s Touch Me centers on two best friends (Olivia Taylor Dudley and Jordan Gavaris) who fall under the erotic spell of the same guy (Lou Taylor-Pucci). At least he looks like a guy; the truth is, he’s an intergalactic being ensconced in a human flesh suit. As the best friends vie for his affection, they gradually realize that they’re fighting for their right to live as much as love. Cinematographer Dustin Supencheck discusses his working relationship with Heimann, the importance of capturing vibrant colors and the influence of 20th century Japanese cinema on the […]

The post “A Mix of Natural Indie Style, Theatrical Spotlights and Neon Colors”: Dp Dustin Supencheck on Touch Me first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Following his 2022 film Hypochondriac, writer-director Addison Heimann’s Touch Me centers on two best friends (Olivia Taylor Dudley and Jordan Gavaris) who fall under the erotic spell of the same guy (Lou Taylor-Pucci). At least he looks like a guy; the truth is, he’s an intergalactic being ensconced in a human flesh suit. As the best friends vie for his affection, they gradually realize that they’re fighting for their right to live as much as love. Cinematographer Dustin Supencheck discusses his working relationship with Heimann, the importance of capturing vibrant colors and the influence of 20th century Japanese cinema on the […]

The post “A Mix of Natural Indie Style, Theatrical Spotlights and Neon Colors”: Dp Dustin Supencheck on Touch Me first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Another Sundance Film Festival kicks off tomorrow, bringing a new slate of genre discoveries. While the buzziest horror titles, like A24’s Opus, have already caught the attention of horror fans, Sundance excels at introducing emerging filmmakers and thrilling feature debuts.

Other anticipated horror premieres from the upcoming slate of programming includes Alison Brie and Dave Franco‘s co-dependency horror movie Together, and SpectreVision’s Celtic Faerie horror Rabbit Trap starring Dev Patel. But it’s only the start of the horror we can’t wait to check out at this year’s fest.

This year’s Sundance features horror across all categories, ensuring a robust lineup of genre titles. Here are five we absolutely can’t wait to see.

Dead Lover

Dead Lover, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

The latest by Booger filmmaker Grace Glowicki once again sees...

The first Tokyo Sukiyaki Theaters, a hybrid film festival designed to screen films in an online theater for the world and in-person in a Japanese movie theater, is now open for submissions on FilmFreeway.

Tokyo Sukiyaki Theaters is a joint project between Cinemago, a Japanese independent film distributor, and todoiF, which streams independent films to an international audience. Leveraging the strengths of both companies, this hybrid film festival is a one of a kind celebration of the fair and equal value of independent films made in countries around the world as a special place where films can be presented simultaneously to a global audience in both online and offline environments.

The festival will select the Best Feature Film and the Best Short Film based on online voting by viewers and a jury selection by the Executive Committee. In addition, the film selected for the Best Artistic Contribution Award will be...

Ming-Na Wen, who voiced Mulan in Disney’s animated feature of the same name, is set to narrate a new documentary titled “Pencils Vs Pixels.”

Co-directed by Bay Dariz (“Hypochondriac”) and Phil Earnest, “Pencils Vs Pixels” is a celebration of 2D hand-drawn animation.

The documentary, which will have its world premiere at Annecy International Animation Film Festival next week, will explore the Disney-led 2D animation boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s which was soon eclipsed by the dawn of computer animation. But, as the film shows, a resurgence of 2D animation suggests there is still hope for the medium.

The documentary features interviews with the great and good of the animation world including Pete Docter, John Musker (“The Little Mermaid”), Tony Bancroft (“Mulan”), Jorge R. Gutiérrez (“The Book of Life”), Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy”), Glen Keane (“Beauty and the Beast”), Tina Price (“Hercules”), Lorna Cook (“Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron...

Hypochondriac Review Video — Hypochondriac (2022) Video Movie Review, a movie directed by Addison Heimann, written by Addison Heimann, and starring Marlene Forte, Devon Graye, Yumarie Morales, Zach Villa, and Madeline Zima. Plot Synopsis Hypochondriac‘s plot synopsis: “Back when Will was 12, his mentally ill mother (Marlene Forte) tried to kill him and was subsequently [...]

Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Hypochondriac (2022) – A Fascinating Tenor but the Director’s Vision Outstrips The Plot...

There’s a moment in the Netflix film “The Old Guard” where Marwan Kenzari is sitting, handcuffed in a car, surrounded by guards, next to his partner passed out. And a shitty cop says “what is he, your boyfriend?.” All the cops giggle like morons. And then, Marwan proceeds to give one of the most beautiful speeches about love, ending in, “he’s not my boyfriend, he’s all and he’s more.” And then they kiss. And oh, what a kiss. The next time you see them, they are walking out of that armored van having knocked out all the guards. Not only did that monologue make me cry, but I was so overwhelmed to finally see two openly gay characters in a superhero movie wax poetic about love and then kick major ass. It made me realize that that’s what I’m craving in cinema. I want us to be the superhero,...

Happy August, dear readers! With Halloween season right around the corner, it seems like this month has a ton of great small-screen horror to get you ready for the impending Spooky Times ahead. There are a ton of killer genre offerings headed to a variety of platforms, plus a ton of other movies being released throughout August via Digital and On Demand platforms as well.

Take a look at our breakdown of everything being released in the next few weeks below so that you can enjoy all the great new horror and sci-fi movies and series coming home during August. Cheers!

All Must Die (Breaking Glass Pictures) - August 2nd

A Norwegian take on the slasher genre, the film follows a group of women on a bachelorette party weekend. When they decide to play a horror role-playing game, things take a turn for deadly when they begin being picked off one-by-one.

With a little more than a month to go until Fantasia returns in person in Montreal (July 14th - August 3rd), North America's biggest genre film festival has unveiled their second wave of titles and events and there are plenty of heavy hitters on deck. Kc Carthew's Polaris is set to open the fest on July 14th, this post-apocalyptic adventure is a graduate of the Frontieres film market back in 2019 and marks the director's second feature. Also included in this round of films is a queer genre focus with films like SXSW Alum, Hypochondriac, Carter Smith's Swallowed, queer wrestling doc, Out in the Ring, Eduardo Casanova's La Pieta, and more. Fantasia also brings the North American premiere of the hotly anticipated Shin Ultraman film...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Montreal event to run July 14 to August 3.

Organisers at the 26th edition of Fantasia International Film Festival have announced that the world premiere of K.C. Carthew’s Polaris will open the Montreal festival, set to run from July 14 to August 3.

The eco action fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic world is distributed in Canada by Filmoption International and is among the second wave of titles and events announced on Thursday (June 2). They include a spotlight on queer cinema and new work from Neil Labute, Patrice Leconte and Shinichiro Ueda.

Labute’s horror-comedy House Of Darkness gets its international premiere and...

Montreal event to run 14 to August 3.

Organisers at the 26th edition of Fantasia International Film Festival have announced that the world premiere of K.C. Carthew’s Polaris will open the Montreal festival, set to run from July 14 to August 3.

The eco action fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic world is distributed in Canada by Filmoption International and is among the second wave of titles and events announced on Thursday (June 2). They include a spotlight on queer cinema and new work from Neil Labute, Patrice Leconte and Shinichiro Ueda.

Labute’s horror-comedy House Of Darkness gets its international premiere and stars Justin Long and Kate Bosworth.

As a supporting sponsor of The Overlook Film Festival, we're proud to present a 100th anniversary screening of Häxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages with a live score by Think Less, Hear More! On top of that, it's been announced that Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon will be the opening night film, the immersive program has been revealed, and there's much more in the latest festival announcement:

(New Orleans, LA) – The Overlook Film Festival is proud to announce its opening night film and second wave of the 2022 festival lineup. These titles join previously announced films and events, including closing night film The Black Phone, for a total of 23 feature films and 25 short films from 16 countries, with 3 World Premieres and 1 North American premiere, along with 10 live events taking place at the Prytania Theatres At Canal Place in New Orleans June 2-5, 2022.

The festival will open with the North American premiere of...

The Overlook Film Festival returns to New Orleans on June 2 through June 5, unleashing a new lineup of horror screenings and immersive experiences. The festival, set in one of America’s most haunted cities, recently unveiled its first wave of programming that includes Scott Derrickson‘s The Black Phone (our review) as its closing night film. From the press release […]

The post The Overlook Film Festival’s Second Wave Includes ‘Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon’, ‘The Cow’, ‘Piggy’ and ‘Hypochondriac’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

XYZ Films brings SXSW horror movie Hypochondriac to theaters and at-home VOD this summer, announcing today a theatrical release July 29 and On Demand release August 4. Addison Heimann wrote and directed Hypochondriac. “Will, a young Hispanic gay potter, is one gregarious guy. His boss is terrible, but he’s got a great boyfriend and a […]

The post LGBTQ Horror Movie ‘Hypochondriac’ Sets Summer 2022 Release Date appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exclusive: Paris-based Reel Suspects has acquired international sales right to Addison Heimann’s horror thriller Hypochondriac.

The pic is billed as an elevated genre film and recently premiered in the Midnighters section at SXSW. XYZ is releasing the film in the U.S. later on in July.

Written and directed by first time director Heimann, the pic stars Zach Villa (American Horror Story), Devon Graye (13 Sins) and Madeline Zima (Californication).

Villa stars as Will, a young Hispanic gay potter with a loving boyfriend and a great job who begins exhibiting unexplainable symptoms when his bipolar mother comes out of the woodwork after ten years of silence. Something sinister lurks in the corner of his vision: a silent and ominous man in a wolf costume. Will spirals into an obsession, determined to solve this mystery of his own.

The movie was produced by Bay Dariz and John Umber under the banner of Minutehand Pictures.

Hypochondriac Review — Hypochondriac (2022) Film Review from the 29th Annual South by Southwest Film Festival, a movie written and directed by Addison Heimann, starring Zach Villa, Devon Graye, Madeline Zima, Yumarie Morales, Marlene Forte, Chris Doubek, Paget Brewster, Adam Busch, Michael Cassidy, Peter Mensah, Debra Wilson. More like a series of vignettes than a film proper, [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Hypochondriac: Good Performances Sail Through Piecemeal Narrative [SXSW 2022]...

Exclusive: Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid), Chris Diamantopolous (Red Notice), Jordyn Denning (Pam & Tommy), Zach Villa (Good Mourning with a U) and Jay Mohr (The Cleaning Lady) have signed on to star in the comedy Discussion Materials, marking the feature directorial debut of TV writer, director and producer Alfredo Barrios Jr.

The offbeat comedy is based on the bestselling book Discussion Materials: Tales of a Rookie Wall Street Investment Banker by Bill Keenan. It follows Bobby Sanders (Blyth), a hustling and quick-talking former pro hockey player-turned-junior banker who navigates the quirky and somewhat surreal world of high finance as he confronts life’s meaning within this gilded cage.

Diamantopolous will play Masterson, the bank’s most-feared managing director, with Denning as Michelle, the brilliant and highflying corporate attorney Bobby falls for. Villa will portray Danny, an investment banking analyst whose financial brilliance is only matched by his insatiable libido, with Mohr as Abernathy,...

Depictions of mental illness are common in film, especially in the horror genre. They’ve become even more prevalent in recent years as filmmakers have used their work to aid in destigmatizing mental illness, but these films also come with tropes that we’ve seen many times before. Is our protagonist going crazy? Or is there something […]

The post ‘Hypochondriac’ SXSW Review – Tackling Mental Illness Through a Queer Horror Lens appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

There is nothing funny about having a nervous breakdown, so it’s extremely admirable when someone can not only share their story with the world, but also manage to insert humor into a difficult situation. Writer/director Addison Heimann’s feature film debut, Hypochondriac, is an intimate, and sometimes hysterical, glimpse into his own personal experience with mental illness and the film is premiering at this year’s SXSW Film Festival.

Hypochondriac follows a young, gay man named Will, played by Zach Villa (American Horror Story), who gives a wonderfully authentic performance. When Will was a child, his mother (Marlene Forte) began acting strangely and after becoming violent, was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Will then cut off all communication with his mother, partially on the advice of a therapist, played by Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds), and eighteen years later, he has a boyfriend and a job as a potter for an exclusive gallery.

Exclusive Red Band Trailer for Freak: "Jason Voohees isn’t the only monster lurking in the woods. Freak, from Wild Eye Releasing, stalks campers this May.

A bloody legend becomes all too real for a group of kids heading out for a weekend of camping and partying. Will they survive what waits for them in the woods?

From writer-director Lucky Cerruti, and starring Jameson Batt, Dorran Boucher and Lucky Cerruti, comes the crafty practical-effects doused horror romp Freak!"

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XYZ Films Acquires Rights To Upcoming SXSW Midnighters Film Hypochondriac: "XYZ Films has acquired all North American rights to the 2022 SXSW Midnighters LGBTQ horror/thriller Hypochondriac, it was announced today. The film was written and directed by Addison Heimann and stars Zach Villa (American Horror Story), Devon Graye (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), Madeline Zima (Californication), Chris Doubek (Boyhood), Marlene Forte (Knives Out), and Paget Brewster...

Ahead of the LGBTQ horror movie’s premiere at SXSW next month, Deadline reports that XYZ Films has acquired Hypochondriac for upcoming release here in the United States. Addison Heimann wrote and directed Hypochondriac, and XYZ Films is planning a nationwide release in US theaters and also on digital sometime later this year. In the SXSW […]

The post LGBTQ Horror Movie ‘Hypochondriac’ Acquired by XYZ Films Ahead of SXSW appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exclusive: XYZ Films has acquired North American rights to the LGBTQ horror-thriller Hypochondriac, starring Zach Villa (American Horror Story), Devon Graye (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), Madeline Zima (Californication), Chris Doubek (Boyhood), Marlene Forte (Knives Out) and Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds), ahead of its world premiere in the Midnighters section of the 2022 SXSW Film Festival on March 14. The indie studio’s domestic distribution division has slated the film for a nationwide release in theaters and on digital later this year.

The Minutehand Pictures production marking the feature directorial debut of writer-director Addison Heimann centers on Will (Villa), a young, gay Hispanic artist, who is one gregarious guy. His boss is terrible, but he’s got a great boyfriend and a great job. Unfortunately, behind that veneer is a dark past of violence and mental illness. When his bipolar mother comes out of the woodwork after 10 years of silence,...

The SXSW Film Festival has officially announced its full 2022 feature film lineup, in addition to a variety of TV premieres and special events. The year, SXSW will occur in-person with select films available online. Every film will have an in-person SXSW 2022 premiere as the festival readies for its first in-person edition since the pandemic forced its cancellation in 2020. Most films will also be available online to badgeholders for 48 hours after their physical premieres.

“Our focus is very much on being in person,” SXSW Film head Janet Pierson told IndieWire. “People really do miss gathering together.”

The festival, in its 29th edition, will run from March 11 – 20. As previously announced, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s film, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” will open the festival. The series three premiere for FX’s “Atlanta,” starring Donald Glover, Lakeith Stanfield, and Brian Tyree Henry, will screen on Closing Night.

Pierson said that the...

Exclusive: Zach Villa, Devon Graye, Madeline Zima, Chris Doubek, Marlene Forte, Paget Brewster, Adam Busch, Michael Cassidy, Peter Mensah and Debra Wilson have signed on to star in Addison Heimann’s feature directorial debut, Hypochondriac.

In the LGBTQ-themed horror-thriller, a young potter’s life devolves into chaos as he loses function of his body while being haunted by the physical manifestation of his childhood trauma.

Bay Dariz is producing through his Minutehand Pictures banner alongside John Humber, with Michelle Lewitt handling casting.