Shudder acquires suspense thriller The Boy Behind the Door

Shudder has announced that it has acquired exclusive rights to The Boy Behind the Door, which made its debut at Fantastic Fest last year before heading to IFI Fest. The film will premiere on Shudder on July 29.

Shudder premiers a new original or exclusive film each week, and The Boy Behind the Door comes to us from co-writers/directors Justin Powell and David Charbonier. The advance buzz on this one is pretty good, The Hollywood Reporter referred to it as “a gripping twist to the home invasion thriller.”

In The Boy Behind the Door, twelve-year-old friends Bobby and Kevin are abducted by a stranger, and thrown into the trunk of a car. Bobby manages to escape, but rather than make a run for it, he sneaks into the stranger’s house, determined to rescue his best friend.

Bobby has to not only hide from the boys’ captor, but also contend with the arrival of another stranger. Of the film, Shudder’s General Manager Craig Engler said, “Justin and David have tapped into what true evil lurking around in our world today looks like, and I can think of no better place for audiences to experience this unrelenting thrill ride than Shudder.”

Powell and Charbonier proclaimed themselves as excited to be partnering with Shudder, which they referred to as “the leading voice in the horror space.” Their follow-up horror film The Djinn, is scheduled to be released by IFC Midnight on May 14.

The Boy Behind the Door: Powell and Charbonier will follow-up with horror film The Djinn at IFC Midnight

Bobby is portrayed by Lonnie Chavis (This is Us, The Water Man), with Ezra Dewey (Criminal Minds) playing Kevin. The Boy Behind the Door also features Micah Hauptman (Homeland, Rust Creek), Scott Michael Foster (Once Upon a Time, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and Kristin Bauer van Straten (who played Pam on the series True Blood).

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Does The Boy Behind the Door sound like a film you want to check out on Shudder this summer? Tell us why or why not in the comments section.