River Brings a Faceless Killer to the Wilderness in New Survival Slasher

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River 2026 TIFF movie poster

The river isn't the only thing they need to survive.

Three Siblings, One Broken Boat, and a Very Bad Place to Be Stranded

River is a survival slasher that follows three estranged siblings who find themselves trapped on a remote river after their boat breaks down, where everything quickly turns into something considerably worse when they discover they aren't alone - a faceless killer has emerged from the surrounding woods, leaving the siblings stranded miles from help and with no cell service to call for assistance.

River also marks the feature directorial and writing debut of Joshua Giuliano, who has spent years working on horror projects before making the jump to feature filmmaking, and the movie was reportedly six years in the making, and Giuliano is also backed by some experienced horror producers - Steven Schneider, whose producing credits include Paranormal Activity and Insidious, is among the producers, alongside Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund.

Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe Lead the Cast

Jane Levy leads alongside Jessica Rothe, bringing together two actors who already have substantial horror credentials, as Levy remains best known to genre audiences for starring in 2013's Evil Dead and Don't Breathe, while Rothe became one of the faces of modern horror through the Happy Death Day movies.

They are joined by Dane DiLiegro, whose imposing physical presence should make him particularly interesting in a movie built around a mysterious killer, and Max Mattern.

From Shudder to the Big Screen

River is a Shudder Original production, with Independent Film Company handling its theatrical release, where the project was announced in November 2025 while still in post-production, with international rights being introduced to buyers at the American Film Market.

The movie is now scheduled to make its opening-night world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where it is part of the Midnight Madness lineup, but there is currently no confirmed general theatrical release date, although the plan is for the film to receive a theatrical release before its eventual Shudder availability.

I'll be sure to update as new news arrives, and hopefully a trailer!


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