River (stylized in all caps) is a 2026 American slasher film written and directed by Joshua Giuliano, in his directorial debut. The film stars Jane Levy, Jessica Rothe, Max Mattern, and Dane DiLiegro. Jason Blum serves as an executive producer through his Blumhouse–Atomic Monster banner.
River premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), under Midnight Madness on September 10, 2026, and will be distributed theatrically by Universal Pictures on January 15, 2027.
Premise Three estranged siblings reunite to scatter their late father's ashes on a remote river, but find themselves stranded on their broken-down boat and tormented by a faceless killer.
Cast Jane Levy as Lucy Jessica Rothe as Carla Max Mattern as Drew Dane DiLiegro as the killer
Production On August 28, 2019, it was announced that Joshua Giulano was set to write and direct River for Tango Entertainment, with Nick Antosca serving as a producer through his Eat the Cat banner.Joshua Giuliano Set To Direct Masked Killer Pic 'River' For Tango Entertainment On November 5, 2025, it was announced that Jane Levy, Jessica Rothe, Dane DiLiegro and Max Mattern would star in the film.Scream Queens Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe Team for Slasher 'River' as Shudder Original Sets Theatrical Release (EXCLUSIVE)
Filming The majority of the film was shot in Monongalia County, West Virginia and Marion County, West Virginia in 2025.
Release River premiered in the Midnight Madness section of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2026. Though River was backed and initially set to be distributed by Independent Film Company and Shudder, they decided to offload distribution rights following an overwhelmingly positive response from major distributors. A bidding war ensued, with A24, Focus Features, Paramount Pictures, and Netflix all dropping out by September 12, with Sony Pictures also placing a bid of $8 million two days later. Ultimately, Jason Blum convinced Focus Features' parent company, Universal Pictures, and Blumhouse–Atomic Monster to place the winning bid of over $10 million. It had its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 19, 2026.Fantastic Fest 2026 Lineup: 'Beware Boiúna' Premiere, 'Resident Evil' and Walter Hill Tribute It is scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on January 15, 2027.
Reception Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
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