Horror fans will love dipping their toe into The Otherkind, a slow-burn, 73-minute arthouse thriller blending psychological dread and ecological horror. The Otherkind will be available to stream on digital platforms starting September 1, 2026.
Director and writer Mary C. Russell, who cut her teeth on her acclaimed slasher short Carved (2015), surfaces with The Otherkind as a siren song of her own, marking her feature directing debut with a voice too haunting to ignore. Alongside her, producer Caroline O’Meara, a writer and creative director on the mermaid series H2O: Just Add Water, made her own seductive pull from the shore, using five years of grit to lure this story from page to screen in her producing debut.
In a sleepy lakeside town, a worn-down cop pieces together the events behind a mysterious car crash while a young woman confronts her sexuality after an unexplainable encounter at the lake. Their intertwining stories pull the town into chaos as something otherworldly stirs beneath the surface. Inspired by Irish selkie folklore with a modern ecological twist, the film leans into parasitic horror and psychological dread over gore.
Russell, who cites The Thing and Night Tide as key inspirations, says: “I was fascinated by the idea of a mythological sea creature that could take on human form. We filmed on location in Crestline, in the San Bernardino Mountains of California, where multiple scenes take place at Lake Gregory. I wanted to show how multiple people can be affected by one source of information, in this case the water, and how it transforms them.”
O’Meara notes: “Audiences will enjoy beautiful landscapes, memorable performances, mind-bending sound design, and a superb indie soundtrack. We hope audiences will not only be entertained by the film, but also reflective on the importance of being responsible stewards of our vital water supply.”
The Otherkind has been celebrated across the festival circuit, winning Best Horror/Thriller at Chicago Film Frenzy, the Blood, Sweat & Fears Award at Sin City Horror Fest, and Best Indie Film at LA International Art Film Fest.
The film stars Rebekah Kennedy (Traumatika, The Lincoln Lawyer) and Lestonja Diaz (9-1-1: Nashville, Ressurektor), alongside Marc Anthony Samuel (The Merry Gentleman, General Hospital) and Paris Dylan (Tiger Dick, Dying to Sleep). Supporting characters include Muneeb Rehman (Dear White People), Luciana Faulhaber (Iron Man 3), and Shylo Molina (Lee Cronin’s The Mummy). Rounding out the town’s quirky, entertaining cast of characters are Jeff Pride, Madonna Young-Magee, Laura Dromerick, Andrew Hansen, and producer Caroline O’Meara, who also appears on screen. KCRW audiences will also recognize the voice of Chris Douridas (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2), who voices the film’s newsreader.
The Otherkind was acquired by Studio Dome. Gary LaBranche and Karen LaBranche of LaBranche Productions served as executive producers on the film.
Watch the trailer for The Otherkind below –
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