IFC Midnight released the trailer for the occult thriller The Wretched starring John-Paul Howard and Piper Curda which opens May 1st on digital platforms and VOD. The film directed and written by the Pierce brothers – Brett and Drew Pierce, follows a rebellious teenage boy who embarks on a gutsy crusade to stop the terrifying evil he suspects has possessed his neighbor.

Following his parents’ separation, a rebellious teenage boy, Ben, is sent to live with his father for the summer and work at the local marina in order to gain some form of discipline. The idyllic tourist town offers little solace for him, however, as he is forced to deal with the local, privileged teens and his father’s new girlfriend. Ben’s problems grow increasingly disturbing when he makes a chilling discovery about the family renting the house next door. A malevolent spirit from the woods has taken a hold of the parents and starts playing a sinister game of house, preying upon the children and wiping away any trace of their existence. Ben’s suspicions of the supernatural horrors go unheeded and he launches a perilous crusade in order to put an end to the skin-walking witch’s reign of terror.

Chilling and suspenseful, The Wretched offers a modern update to the retro young hero’s mission like that of The Goonies, and promises to make viewers wary of every dark corner they encounter after witnessing its terrifying tale.