Horror Highlights: OBSESSION, A SEA OF TREES, THE X-FILES

Watch the Official Trailer for OBSESSION: "After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price."

• Writer/Director: Curry Barker
• Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter
• Producers: James Harris (Teashop Productions), Haley Nicole Johnson (Under the Shell), Christian Mercuri (Capstone Pictures), Roman Viaris.
• Executive Producers: Jason Blum (Blumhouse), Leonora Darby (Teashop), Mark Lane (Teashop), David Haring (Capstone), Ruzanna Kegeyan (Capstone Pictures).

Focus Features will release OBSESSION In Theaters Nationwide on May 15th

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‘A Sea Of Trees’: Discover What Happened In the Summer of 2007 In The Mysterious New Found Footage Horror Film: "What happened in the summer of 2007 in Epping Forest? What happened to Elliott Cornell? 

Writer/director Scott Lyus falls down the rabbit hole in A Sea of Trees, as a documentary crew tries to uncover the mysterious disappearance of a vlogger almost two decades ago. The upcoming found footage film is the latest from Lyus, best known for his atmospheric debut Walking Against the Rain. 

A Sea of Trees continues Lyus’ exploration of psychologically driven, character-focused horror. His debut feature, Walking Against the Rain, was widely praised for its haunting atmosphere, emotional restraint, and striking visual language, establishing Lyus as a distinctive new voice in independent genre filmmaking. Now, with A Sea of Trees, Lyus aims to use the found footage style to further delve into the emotional depths of his characters, all while delivering gut-wrenching scares. 

“With A Sea of Trees, I want to create a film that feels disturbingly real, a story that taps into our collective obsession with missing-person cases and the addictive pull of viral true crime. This film dives headfirst into that phenomenon, exploring the volatile collision of grief, spectacle, and belief, asking what happens when the camera stops observing and starts influencing events,” said Lyus. 

He added, “Set within the shadowed depths of Epping Forest, a landscape rich with folklore, disappearances, and centuries of whispered history, the film uses its very real atmosphere to anchor an escalating supernatural mystery. By fusing the immediacy of documentary storytelling with creeping paranormal dread, A Sea of Trees blurs the boundary between fact and myth. This is a story designed to grip true crime devotees, thrill horror fans, and immerse viewers in an experience that feels less like watching a film and more like uncovering something they were never meant to see.” 

Former Dread Central Editor-in-Chief and filmmaker Mary Beth McAndrews has also signed on to produce A Sea of Trees. McAndrews brings an extensive understanding of the horror genre and its audience, shaped by years at the forefront of genre journalism and production. During her tenure as Editor-in-Chief of Dread Central and through her work as an executive producer, she championed emerging filmmakers, amplified underrepresented voices, and helped cement Dread Central’s reputation as a leading authority in horror film and television. 

The film is being produced by McAndrews alongside Chris Nials and Scott Lyus under their Crossroad Pictures banner. 

Further details are being kept tightly under wraps, with the project currently seeking investment partners. Further announcements are expected in the coming months."

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PLUTO TV LAUNCHES “THE FAN IS OUT THERE” EXPERIENCE: "The truth is out there…and now it’s free. Pluto TV wants to find X-Philes obsessed enough to find it. With all 11 seasons of The X-Files now streaming on Pluto TV, the platform is giving them a chance at an experience even Mulder couldn’t get clearance for. One superfan winner and their chosen investigation partner will disappear into the desert for nine days to marathon the entire series inside an undisclosed, off-grid facility in Joshua Tree.

Situated in the Joshua Tree desert where unexplained phenomena have been reported for decades, the location is designed for maximum immersion and minimum outside contact fit for the ultimate X-Phile. For these passionate fans, comfort and conspiracies go hand-in-hand. And for fans looking to escape modern dystopia with a heavy dose of nostalgia, it’s a perfect outlet. The off-grid installation features:

• A living case board to track patterns, connections, and conspiracies across all 218 episodes
• Themed provisions including black coffee, sunflower seeds, and paranormal paraphernalia
• Daily on-camera debriefing confessionals for social documentation
• Classified details still under wraps

"At a moment when conspiracy culture has moved from fringe forums to mainstream discourse, The X-Files lands differently today," said Will Gurman, SVP, Content Partnerships & Programming for Pluto TV. "This cult classic pioneered binge-worthy, supernatural storytelling and built one of TV's most passionate fan communities. With the entire series always available and totally free, it's a show you can disappear into for days. This is exactly the kind of deep library comfort viewing Pluto TV was built for."

True believers can enter to win “The Fan Is Out There” experience at https://the-fan-is-out-there.prod.fooji.com/ starting March 10th at 11:00am E.T until March 20th at 11:59pm E.T. See official contest website for full rules and terms & conditions.

The X-Files, the iconic series that defined a generation of television, is currently streaming on Pluto TV with all 11 seasons (218 episodes including the 2016 revival) available on-demand and on a dedicated 24/7 linear channel in Pluto TV's Sci-Fi category.

Join The X-Files marathon for “The Fan Is Out There” on Monday, April 20th on Pluto TV, available anywhere fans stream, with no subscription required."