The Cow: Winona Ryder thriller set for theatrical release from Vertical Entertainment

Back in September, we heard that Eli Horowitz, co-creator of the Amazon anthology series Homecoming, had made his feature directorial debut with a mystery thriller called The Cow, which was filmed entirely in secret. The film has since had its world premiere at the SXSW film festival, and now Deadline reports that Vertical Entertainment has come out the winner in a bidder war over the distribution rights. They’re planning to give The Cow a theatrical release later this year.

The film stars Winona Ryder (Stranger Things), John Gallagher Jr. (10 Cloverfield Lane), Owen Teague (The Stand), Brianne Tju (47 Meters Down: Uncaged), and Dermot Mulroney (Young Guns). Horowitz wrote the screenplay with Matthew Derby, and when we first heard about this movie the plot was being kept under wraps. Now we have a synopsis to share. The story begins when

Kath (Ryder) and her boyfriend (Gallagher Jr.) arrive at a remote cabin in the redwoods, only to discover that a mysterious younger couple is already there. The rental has apparently been double-booked, and with nowhere else to go, they decide to share the cabin with these strangers. When her boyfriend disappears with the young woman, Kath becomes obsessed with finding an explanation for their sudden breakup—but the truth is far stranger than she could have ever imagined.

The Cow was produced by Shaun Sanghani and Russ Posternak, along with BoulderLight Pictures’ Raphael Margules and JD Lifshitz. mm2 Asia executive produced.

Horowitz provided the following statement:

It was a thrill to watch audiences respond so enthusiastically to The Cow at SXSW, and it’s now an even bigger one to be able to share it with the wider world. I’m very grateful to Vertical for partnering with us on this strange and surprising movie.”

Vertical’s Peter Jarowey added:

We are excited to have landed The Cow out of SXSW. Eli has created a captivating thriller anchored by strong performances from an incredible cast led by Winona Ryder. We are also excited to work with BoulderLight Pictures, Shaun and Russ on a project we have been tracking since its infancy.”

The Cow sounds interesting to me and it has a solid cast, so I look forward to checking this out one. Let us know if you’re interested in The Cow by leaving a comment below.