Heather Graham is gearing up for a seriously spooky season. Before she takes on the role of Chris Hargensen's mother in Mike Flanagan's upcoming Carrie adaptation on Prime Video, she's diving headfirst into one of America's most chilling paranormal cases. What Happened to Doris? is set to make its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, and it casts Graham as Doris Bither, a single mother who claimed she was tormented by an unseen force in her Culver City home back in 1974.
Collider has an exclusive first look at the film, and the image is enough to send a shiver down your spine. Graham sits alone at a kitchen table, pencil in hand, but her expression is one of deep unease. The ordinary setting feels charged with dread, a reminder that horror can strike in the most mundane of places. This case, often referred to as the Entity haunting, became infamous after Bither reported being physically and sexually assaulted by invisible entities. Investigators from UCLA's parapsychology department spent ten weeks documenting a series of inexplicable events, from poltergeist activity to strange floating lights. While skeptics have questioned the validity of these claims, no definitive explanation has ever been reached.
What Happened to Doris? aims to tell the story from the perspective of the family, exploring the terror that unfolded around them and the consequences of doubting a victim's account. Directed by Nick Simon, known for the 2021 horror-comedy Untitled Horror Movie, the film is written by Thomas Fenton, who previously worked on the story for Saw IV. The cast includes Mimi Rogers, reuniting with Graham after their time together on Lost in Space, along with Morgan Peter Brown, Kevin Keppy, and Luke Baines, who co-wrote and starred in Simon's earlier film.
The Bither case has long been a part of horror lore, thanks to the 1982 film The Entity, starring Barbara Hershey. That movie, adapted from Frank De Felitta's novel, drew heavily from the real-life events. Over a decade ago, a remake was in the works with James Wan and Roy Lee attached, but it never materialized. Now, What Happened to Doris? seeks to offer a more faithful retelling, focusing on the real people affected and the researchers who found themselves facing true terror in their quest for answers.
For fans of unsettling true-crime horror, this is a must-watch. And if you're looking for more scares, check out our list of micro-budget horror gems that prove you don't need a big budget to terrify audiences. Or, if you're in the mood for something different, explore our take on high fantasy films with unforgettable screenplays.
What Happened to Doris? will premiere at Fantastic Fest, running from September 17 to 24 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas. For more details on the festival and its lineup, visit the official Fantastic Fest guide. Stay tuned for more exclusive looks at the genre event's most anticipated premieres.
