Miami’s Popcorn Frights Film Festival kicked off last night with David Bruckner’s chilling The Night House. Festival programmers Igor Shteyrenberg and Marc Ferman have safely curated a combination of in-person screenings this weekend as well as virtual screenings that will be available until next Thursday, August 19. One of the crown jewels of the festival which you won’t want to miss is Kevin Kopacka and Lili Villányi’s exceptional Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes. 

A loving homage to Gothic horror with clear Euro-horror influences from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes is an incredible take on what we’ve come to expect from ghost stories and hauntings. It’s hard to describe without spoiling anything, but we have some exclusive stills and a promotional poster from the film to give you a taste of what’s in store.

Check out the trailer for Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes below.

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes Trailer

A Beautiful Nightmare

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes is probably one of my favorite movies of the year so far, honestly. It’s perfectly moody and atmospheric with a stunning aesthetic from start to finish and it plays with the genre in similar ways to One Cut of the Dead but by way of Mario Bava and with an exceptional feminist lean.

It’s stunning to look at, utterly captivating to watch, and beautifully paced at a brisk 72 minutes. According to director Kevin Kopacka, the initial cut of the film was significantly longer. So they kept testing it, and going back in to tighten it up, trim the proverbial fat, and make it sing. And sing it most certainly does! The script which Kopacka co-wrote with his parter in work and life, Lili Villányi, is extraordinary and showcases the powerful influence introspection, self-awareness, and humility can have on art, especially when we listen to one another.

Here’s Popcorn Frights’ synopsis of the film:

Fans of Gothic and Euro-horror will rejoice at the awe-inspiring madness and visceral aesthetic of Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes, a visual feast in the vein of Dario Argento, Jean Rollin, and Mario Bava. Equally mesmerizing and erotic, it fluctuates between visual poetry and shocking violence. Set in a strange alternative reality, our tale focuses on two lovers who have just inherited a rundown castle, a melancholic woman and her irritable husband, who decide to spend the night in this foreboding and derelict residence. As time and reality slowly start to shift around them, unimaginable horrors ensue deteriorating their fading sanity.

Check out several images for Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes below.

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes will have its world premiere as part of Popcorn Frights’ virtual lineup on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. See the poster below.

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