Else FilmsHave you ever watched a film so terrifying you didn’t even make it halfway through, declaring it ‘almost scared you half to death’?
Probably, yes. But have you ever watched a ‘cursed’ horror film that’s literally ‘the deadliest film ever made’ and which claims to have cost the lives of 86 people who dared to watch it?
Nope, neither have I. And neither have you, probably, because Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made will only be shown in cinemas for the first time this year – in Japan. But more accessibly it’s available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Watch the trailer below if you dare:
Now, before we continue, I need to make the following disclaimer: Antrum is actually a fictional film (I hope) dressed up as a documentary.
Basically, its ‘cursed’ murderous past – that the first cinema it was screened in burned down, killing 56 people, and the second screening also ended in tragedy when the building exploded, killing 30 people – is actually a creation of filmmakers David Amito and Michael Laicini.
The film begins in the typical documentary style, with viewers learning about Antrum‘s sordid history for the first time. The audience also learns that the film might be killing those who watch it in a Ring-like way, with an ominous on-screen warning that ‘Antrum isn’t safe’.
The tension builds up until Antrum shifts from documentary to the cursed film, after the ‘film crew’ discover a reel previously thought to have been destroyed.
Else FilmsGiven all of the build-up about how cursed the film is, I can imagine then being shown the film in all its glory is pretty damn terrifying. Which was no doubt the thinking behind Amito and Laicini’s creation.
The fictional Antrum tells the story of a brother and sister who are so upset after their pet dog is put down that they resolve to dig down to hell to retrieve the animal’s soul.
Its official synopsis reads:
A young boy and girl enter the forest to dig a hole to hell. Said to be a cursed film from the late 1970s, Antrum examines the horrifying power of storytelling.
Else FilmsIf this sounds like a bit of you, you have American horror director Eric Thirteen to thank; he became aware of the film at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival in late 2018 and was determined to put it out to a wider audience.
The director struck a deal with Uncork’d Entertainment for Antrum to be screened throughout 2020 in cinemas across Japan, where the film has attracted attention on social media.
So there you have it, a film so terrifying it might actually curse you. Are you willing to give it a try?
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).