The minds behind last year's acclaimed audio-driven horror Undertone are back with a fresh nightmare, and it's trading in sound for the unsettling grain of VHS. Death of a Yellow Bird, the new feature from producer-turned-director Cody Calahan, is set to world premiere at Fantastic Fest, and we've got an exclusive first look at one of its most chilling images.
Calahan, who produced Undertone, steps into the director's chair for this project, also penning the script. Black Fawn Films, the company behind Undertone, is once again producing. The film follows a dying man who, after abandoning his cancer treatment, retreats to his family's secluded cabin to find peace. To leave a legacy for his young son and combat the isolation, he begins recording video messages, with only tense phone calls to his mother and wife for company. But his solitude is shattered when a voice emerges from an old tape, convincing him that a malevolent presence shares his space.
Our exclusive image captures a figure standing on the cabin's porch, bathed in daylight but rendered indistinct by the limitations of VHS. The figure's arm is extended, but details are lost to the grainy static. What's most unsettling is the subtle distortion of the body's shape—an effect that could be a quirk of the dated technology or something far more sinister. This ambiguity is exactly what Death of a Yellow Bird aims to exploit, using the imperfections of analog formats to blur the line between reality and the supernatural.
The film's use of home movies and garbled audio is reminiscent of the analog horror trend that has captivated audiences, as seen in other VHS-centric scares at Fantastic Fest. But Calahan's approach goes beyond mere nostalgia, using the tapes to unravel the protagonist's past, uncovering familial trauma and a half-remembered tragedy as he seeks emotional closure. It's a slow-burn horror drama that promises both chills and heart.
Leading the cast is Canadian actor Ari Millen, known for his roles in Orphan Black and as the voice of Dr. Ram in Undertone. Millen also recently appeared in Eli Roth's Thanksgiving as the Ice Cream Man. In Death of a Yellow Bird, he carries the film almost single-handedly, navigating both the terrifying and the tender moments of a man confronting his own mortality.
For those eager to see more, Death of a Yellow Bird will make its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, running from September 17-24 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas. The festival is a hotbed for innovative horror, and this film is already generating buzz. If you're a fan of analog horror, you might also want to check out this exclusive look at another VHS-based fright. And for those who appreciate the eerie nostalgia of old tapes, Sam Neill's Event Horizon is returning to streaming—a perfect double feature with this new chiller.
Stay tuned to ShowtimeSpot for more exclusive previews from Fantastic Fest as the event approaches. For the full lineup, check the official film guide. Death of a Yellow Bird is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about horror films of the year, and we can't wait to see the full story unfold.
