Emerging genre studio Welcome Villain Films has announced their latest acquisition, the Australian shocker Beaten To Death, ahead of the film’s Panic Fest premiere. New stills have been unveiled for the film, along with plans for a Summer 2023 release.
Directed by Sam Curtain and co-written by Curtain and Benjamin Jung-Clarke, Beaten To Death unfolds after a desperate choice leads a man named Jack down a path that leaves him beaten and bruised as he struggles against man, nature, and his own insanity. Stranded in the middle of nowhere after barely surviving a horrific assault, Jack encounters one local after another and quickly learns that a sick game of cat and mouse is about to begin. Battling the deranged country psychos and the harsh landscape, Jack must go to extreme lengths to survive.
Beaten To Death had its world premiere at Australia’s A Night Of Horror International Film Festival and has become a subject of controversy and curiosity due to the film’s extreme violence. Touted as a welcome return to the Outback horror subgenre, which includes renowned titles such as the Wolf Creek franchise, The Loved Ones, The Snowtown Murders, and more, Beaten To Death has only been seen by a few select audiences but is already being called “a dark powerful horror film that will drag the audience through the dirt” (SodaAndTelepaths.com) and “a genuinely great bit of Aussie horror” (Dread Central).
“From the initial story inception, I wanted to achieve two things,” says filmmaker Sam Curtain. “I knew I wanted to create a visceral and violent experience, but I also wanted to find beauty in the frame. This is partially the reason why I decided to shoot it myself, to capture everything in the moment, in a hands-on tactile way, connecting the direction between the actor, the lens, and myself. The violent scenes are designed to shock and disturb, and I embrace the ride of emotions the audience experiences alongside Jack.”
“Beaten To Death is an absolute beast of a film, and is the type of boundary-pushing gut punch that the genre needs right now – it floored us,” says Luke LaBeau, Welcome Villain’s Head of Development. “Not only is it loaded with extreme, unrelenting violence, but it is just an incredibly well-made film on virtually every level. And in speaking with Sam and Ben, it was clear we were on the same wavelength from the start, which made this partnership even more exciting.”
Eric Kleifield, Welcome Villain’s Head of Creative adds to that sentiment, saying “We love Outback horror, and this film lives up to its name and then some. Our motto is to be ‘a safe space for dangerous films,’ and this, most certainly, is a very dangerous film that will stick with viewers long after the credits roll. We’re proud to have Beaten To Death as part of the Welcome Villain family.”
Beaten To Death will screen at Panic Fest on Tuesday, April 18 as well as the Fantastic Film Festival Australia on April 28. Following its festival run, Welcome Villain Films will distribute the film domestically this Summer.
Beaten To Death was directed by Sam Curtain, who also co-wrote the film with Benjamin Jung-Clarke. The film was produced by Libby Jessup, Sam Curtain, Benjamin Jung-Clarke, and Thomas Roach, featuring gruesome SFX makeup work from Danica Hadolt. Beaten To Death was shot on location in the Derwent Valley and Central Midlands, predominantly in southern Tasmania, Australia. Thomas Roach stars in the lead role of Jack with David Tracy as the film’s main antagonist. Justan Wagner and Nicole Tudor star in supporting roles.
