IFC Midnight was always planning on giving THE WRETCHED, an indie horror movie from the writing and directing sibling duo of Brett and Drew Pierce, a theatrical release this May, but if it had come out in a handful of theatres at a normal time, sharing multiplexes with the likes of A QUIET PLACE PART II, BLACK WIDOW, and NO TIME TO DIE, we probably wouldn't have heard a whole lot about it, and it would have been just another movie in the VOD shuffle. But when IFC Midnight did put the film out into the world, it was not a normal time. Most brick and mortar theatres were closed, major releases were delayed, and the main venue for showing movies was one that had been fading away: the drive-in. So when THE WRETCHED came out on around a dozen drive-in screens earlier this month, it was successful enough during this strange time that it became the #1 movie in America.
As more drive-ins open for the summer season, THE WRETCHED has continued to endure. Now playing at over forty-five drive-ins around the United States, the film has held its place at #1 for three weeks straight.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a nightmare, and I'm glad there were some drive-ins that were open in the midst of the mess to give people a chance to get some entertainment in a safe way. Once this is over, I really hope the drive-in resurgence will continue, because I love the drive-in moviegoing experience and think it deserves to be more popular.
Making THE WRETCHED's drive-in success even sweeter is the fact that it also happens to be a really good movie. Our own Jake Dee gave it an 8/10 review, a rating I would agree with.
THE WRETCHED has the following synopsis:
Following his parents’ separation, a rebellious teenage boy, Ben, is sent to live with his father for the summer and work at the local marina in order to gain some form of discipline. The idyllic tourist town offers little solace for him, however, as he is forced to deal with the local, privileged teens and his father’s new girlfriend. Ben’s problems grow increasingly disturbing when he makes a chilling discovery about the family renting the house next door. A malevolent spirit from the woods has taken ahold of the parents and starts playing a sinister game of house, preying upon the children and wiping away any trace of their existence. Ben’s suspicions of the supernatural horrors go unheeded and he launches a perilous crusade in order to put an end to the skin-walking witch’s reign of terror.
The film stars John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Jamison Jones, Azie Tesfai, and Zarah Mahler.
If you can't make it out to a drive-in to see THE WRETCHED, it's also available on VOD. You can check it out HERE.