Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last year and a half, then you already know that horror is the genre du jour, and there are a slew of indie and mainstream films that have captured the hearts and throats of audiences. True aficionados may be drawn to one of the latest entries to reach the market, as Nick Leisure recently released New Year’s Absolution. The psychological horror, from Scatena & Rosner Films, released on July 14th, presents a reprieve from the typical summer blockbusters which proliferate the landscape around this season. The premise of this movie is definitely left of center, positing the question: what if your New Year’s resolution leaned into The Purge territory and it was to murder someone?
Chilling, isn’t it?
The film centers on a close-knit group of lifelong friends who gather for their annual New Year’s Eve celebration, where each participant anonymously submits resolutions designed to inspire one another in the coming year. What begins as a harmless tradition quickly spirals into terror when one handwritten resolution simply reads, “Kill Someone.”
That’s when the movie quickly descends into a whodunit, who’s going to do it, and who’s going to get away with it — all merged into one. And no one is left unscathed.
Chaos ensues starting with a police officer who may or may not have a chip or two on his shoulder. As the drama unfolds and tensions rise, the group engages in a ripple effect of secrets that threaten to compromise their lives in inescapable ways. Before the clock strikes midnight and after turn into two different worlds as viewers find out who ultimately prevails and who falls into the abyss.
The cast features Michael Copon (One Tree Hill), Josh Gilmer, Joel Brady (Men in Black 3), Rafael Siegel, Shala White, Victorya Brandart, Siddalee Diaz, and Lamondo Hill II, all playing off one another as the night goes into unchartered territory and everyone turns into a suspect.
With a screenplay from Damion Stephens, with Justin Nesbitt producing alongside executive producers Adam Secondo and Russ Wyluda, New Year’s Absolution ramps up elements of mystery and intrigue with an engaging premise sure to excite true horror fans.
New Year’s Absolution premieres July 14 on major VOD and digital platforms.
Triston B. is an entertainment journalist, film critic, and voting member of GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, where he champions independent cinema alongside major studio releases. Always on the lookout for emerging filmmakers and bold storytelling, he believes the next film to make waves in the industry can come from any genre — and often from the independent voices willing to take the biggest creative risks.
