Scared Shitless (FrightFest 2024): Press Release

Scared Shitless looks like so much icky fun and we are delighted to share with you all the official press release ahead of its European premiere at FrightFest 2024 – are you ready to take the plunge?

Just when you thought it was safe to sit on the porcelain throne, along comes Scared Shitless, the latest horror-comedy that will make you rethink your bathroom habits. Directed by the wildly imaginative Vivieno Caldinelli, this self-funded indie gem is set to have its European Premiere at FrightFest in London, UK, on August 26. Prepare to laugh, scream, and perhaps avoid your plumbing for a while.

Scared Shitless follows Don, a blue-collar plumber with a crass sense of humour, as he drags Sonny, his germophobic son, on a routine house call to help him overcome his fears. Little do they know, they’re about to face a plumber’s worst nightmare—a genetically engineered, blood-thirsty creature swimming through the pipes and killing tenants in increasingly grisly fashion. With the help of the night manager, Patricia, this unlikely trio must stop the monster from escaping into the city’s water system.

Vivieno Caldinelli, whose last film Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss premiered at Tribeca, brings his unique blend of jump-in-your-seat scares, laugh-out-loud moments, and blood-splattering gore to Scared Shitless. Inspired by 80s and 90s VHS horror classics, Caldinelli’s film is a contemporary spin on the “monster in the house” genre, complete with hand-crafted practical effects and dark comedic elements.

Starring Steven Ogg (Grand Theft Auto V, The Walking Dead) as Don, the old-school plumber with a heart of gold and a humor as dirty as his job, and Daniel Doheny (Adventures in Public School, Alex Strangelove) as Sonny, a former star athlete turned couch-loafer, struggling to overcome his crippling germophobia. Chelsea Clark (Degrassi: Next Class, Ginny & Georgia) plays Patricia, the tough, yet warm-hearted night manager who teams up with Don and Sonny. Mark McKinney (Superstore, The Kids in the Hall) appears as Professor Robert, the nervous genomic scientist whose dark-money experiment goes horribly wrong. The cast also includes Julian Richings as Dr. Cummings and Marcia Bennet as Mrs. Applebaum, the quirky senior who calls Don to fix her toilet more often than necessary.

The creature, designed by Canada’s top creature guru Steve Kostanski, is a blend between a graboid and a xenomorph. Over the film’s brisk 77-minute runtime, you’ll watch it evolve from a tiny terror to a full-blown, body-devouring nightmare.

In a world filled with stress and chaos, Scared Shitless offers a much-needed escape with its nostalgic style, campy charm, and a storyline that’s as heartwarming as it is terrifying. It’s a film that knows exactly what it is—a fun, gore-filled romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously. At its core, it’s about a father and son overcoming their differences and fears, all while battling a monster in the pipes.

This is the first feature for Writer/Producer Brandon Cohen, and Producer Lewis Spring. Scared Shitless had its world premiere in July at Fantasia Film Festival with two sold-out screenings.

Don’t miss the European Premiere of Scared Shitless at FrightFest in London, UK, on August 26.

Get ready to laugh, scream, and maybe hold it in just a little bit longer. Because in this film, the monster really is in the house… and the bathroom.