Kids are so damn obsessed with their phones these days that it’s almost impossible not to make horror movies about it — and some people already have. Deadline reports that Alliance Media Partners is bringing the new techno-horror Modem to this year’s American Film Market next month, with the digital terror coming not only from a phone, but from a piece of tech some kids might not even recognize.
Written and directed by Tim James Brown in his feature debut, Modem stars Josh Burdett, Amanda Renberg, Nika Tallroth, Frederik Gunnarsson, Ylva Loof, and Henrik Lundstrom. The film’s synopsis is as follows:
A digital detox turns into a nightmare when an American engineer and his Swedish wife take their family to a remote summer house, hoping to escape the pressures of modern life. But when their social-media-obsessed teenage daughter discovers a hidden modem and secretly restores the Wi-Fi, she unwittingly awakens a sadistic demon.
Invading their phones and digital devices, the sinister presence begins to torment the family, turning their peaceful retreat into a living nightmare. As fear gives way to panic and paranoia, two-year-old Stig suddenly vanishes. Now the family must confront a terrifying supernatural force that has turned their connected world against them, in a chilling tale of demonic terror, steeped in Scandi-noir atmosphere.
“What makes Modem so intense is that it plays on the paranoia of technology,” Brown told Deadline. “A paranormal stalker voyeuristically preying on its victims through their own digital devices. You can’t see it – it sees you.”
Modem previously screened at numerous film festivals around the world, including Raindance, the New York International Film Awards, and the Stockholm City Film Festival. The film is produced by Brown alongside Jonathan Sadler, Theresa Larché, and Adrian Brown.
“Modem is exactly the kind of high-concept horror we’re excited to bring to the international market,” said AMP’s Anthony Buckner. “It taps into a universal modern-day obsession with being online and turns something we rely on every day into a source of genuine terror. With its compelling premise and chillingly relevant themes, we believe the film has strong potential to connect with young audiences worldwide.”
No release date has been set for Modem. Stay tuned to FANGORIA for more updates.
