Screamfest is really not giving horror fans a chance to catch their breath this year. Just when we think we have our October watchlist under control, another film lands on the festival lineup and gives us something else to investigate.
This time, it is Processing Charlie, a new horror thriller from first time filmmaker David Harari, arriving at Screamfest on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 9:45 p.m.
The setup sounds simple enough: an act of kindness goes horribly wrong.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR “PROCESSING CHARLIE” BELOW
Official Synopsis: Charlie is already dealing with a fractured marriage when he decides to take in his long lost cousin, Cole. Unfortunately for Charlie, his newly welcomed houseguest comes with some seriously disturbing baggage. As Cole’s secrets begin bubbling to the surface, Charlie realizes that opening his home to family may have been one of the worst decisions he could have made.
The film stars Asa Fris as Cole, Michael Ursu as Charlie, Kelly Pantaleoni as Anika and Sophia Guillèn as Carmen.
Processing Charlie was adapted from an award winning screenplay that took home the Grand Prize in the 2024 Fade-In Horror Screenplay Competition. At the center of the story is the danger of allowing the wrong person into your home and the uncomfortable reality that family connections do not always mean someone has your best interests at heart.
Harari is making his feature directing debut, although he is hardly new to the film business. The filmmaker is a 26 year veteran of the film and television industry who has primarily worked as a line producer. After years of writing scripts and waiting for the Hollywood machine to give him the green light, Harari decided there was a much simpler solution: make the movie himself. Sounds pretty punk rock to us, so of course we are intrigued.
If the punk attitude wasn’t already established, the DIY aesthetic of the film itself practically screams it in your face. Processing Charlie runs approximately 100 minutes, was shot entirely in black and white and uses a 4:3 aspect ratio, giving the film a stripped down, old school look that immediately sets it apart from the polished widescreen presentation we usually see in modern horror.
The entire production was filmed over 24 days in Los Angeles with what the filmmakers describe as a small but mighty group of collaborators, giving the movie that hands on, make it yourself spirit that feels right at home in the punk world
Harari wrote and directed the film, with Alexis Brown and Harari producing. Rick Dominicus handled editing, while Sebastian Sokolowski and Nandan Lawande served as cinematographers. Roman Kovalik composed the original score, with production sound handled by Jorge Rendón Vélez.
Screamfest has already been throwing a ridiculous amount of new horror our way this year, and Processing Charlie adds another intriguing entry to the pile. A fractured marriage, a family member with a dark side and a house that may not be nearly as safe as it should be sounds like a pretty good reason to keep the lights on.
Processing Charlie screens Thursday, Oct. 8 at 9:45 p.m. as part of Screamfest.
