By Mark Young
It’s often said that you should write what you know. I’m not sure how that applies to Stephen King, for example—I doubt he’s ever witnessed a comet causing mechanical objects to spring to life and start exterminating humanity, or seen a novelist’s pseudonym manifest as a real person. While I Know Exactly How You Die doesn’t quite run along those parallel lines, it does share a common idea: a struggling writer whose creation becomes flesh, with its ending shaped by his own hands. And worse, it’s happening right next door.
What every good horror tale needs is an isolated hotel—one that may have far more going on within its spit-and-Kleenex walls than is first apparent on check-in. It’s here that our writer retreats in an attempt to find himself, and hopefully the inspiration he’s lacking. Rian (Rushabh Patel) captures the struggling-artist energy convincingly: looming deadlines, zero inspiration, and a recent breakup all pulling his mental state firmly out of alignment.
Katie (Stephanie Hogan) is our stalkee, introducing herself—and the serial killer—with all the backstory you could possibly need. Her early conversation with the hotel manager about feeling utterly powerless in this situation is painfully familiar and echoes real life far too closely. How do you stop unwanted attention? Running parallel to that is Rian’s behaviour as he repeatedly phones his ex, cycling from the “nice guy” to the “angry guy” and back again. These early scenes are handled well, grounding both characters and showing how pressure molds their actions.
As you’d hope, once we pass that magic 30-minute mark, Rian’s story begins to bleed into real life as the Postman starts making his presence known. The problem is that it never quite feels like he poses any real danger. The sudden reveal that the hotel has powers is hinted at but never properly explained. It leaves the impression of several interesting ideas squeezed together, each pulling the story in different directions without fully landing.
Overall, it’s a decent tale, and if you can track it down online, it’s worth sticking with to the end—though you might spot the twist coming.
I Know Exactly How You Die is available on all digital platforms from 7 April 2026.
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