Acclaimed horror directorNeil Marshallis back in the action horror saddle with his latest filmThe Lairand a new trailer sets up one terrifying fight with beasts from below. The film follows Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair (Charlotte Kirk) after she’s shot down in the middle of Afghanistan and forced to take shelter in a bunker in the desert. Once she goes down into the titular lair, however, she finds horrifying half-human half-alien biological weapons awakened and out for blood, leaving her fellow soldiers with no choice but to take down the army of monsters. It’s slated to arrive in theaters, on Digital, and through VOD from RLJE Films on October 28.
Early shots from the trailer evoke a similar feeling to Marshall’s other well-known horrorThe Descentwith Kate navigating the claustrophobic passageways of the bunker with nothing but a glowstick to light her way. As she tries to escape the soldiers that chased her in, the feature’s creatures step in to ambush the unfortunate men. It’s all part of her tale that she recounts to her fellow officers about what happened after she was shot out of the air, though they’re more than a little skeptical about what she’s telling them. There’s no knowledge of the bunker or where it’s at but her fear and certainty of its location convince them to take a look.
Once they return to the bunker, the trailer delves fully into action horror as Finch (Jamie Bamber) says to “kill anything that shrieks.” It’s all a montage of the troops down in the dimly lit bunkers, gunning down, slashing, and stomping the beasts while red warning lights go off in the background and perfectly fitting action catchphrases are uttered. Their enemies are no easy marks to hold back from the surface though. Fast, agile, and equipped with tentacles to ensnare and attach to victims to either drain or infect them, they’re able to make this a desperate struggle for the troops. They can’t hold them back forever either as the closing shot of the trailer shows one beast taking out a soldier on the surface.
RELATED:Get Your First Look at Chilling Images from Neil Marshall’s Horror Film ‘The Lair’ [Exclusive]
The Lairreunites Marshall and his star Kirk after he previously gave her the lead and co-wrote with her onThe Reckoning. She once again got to take on writing duties with Marshall, penning the screenplay for the film alongside him. Co-starring with her are Bamber,Jonathan Howard,Mark Arends,Hadi Khanjanpour,Tanji Kibong,Leon Ockenden,Mark Strepan,Harry Taurasi,Alex Morgan,Adam Bond,Sarah Lambie,Kibong Tanji, andTroy Alexander. Executive producers includeSamantha Allwinton,Reinhard Besser,Phil Rymer,Joe Simpson, andSimon WilliamswhileDaniel-Konrad Cooperproduced withKwesi Dickson,Jonathan Halperyn, andDaniel Kresmeryas co-producers.
Marshall’s latest premiered at London’s FightFest back in August and the director was simply happy to have his work back on display in front of a festival crowd where the gory monster action would play up on the big screen. He toldEntertainment Weeklyin an exclusive interview:
“Oh, it was great. It had been a long time since I’d been there, so it was a real joy to be back and to have the privilege of opening the festival with this one. My whole idea for this movie was for it to be a festival crowd-pleaser, a big gory action spectacular, and it worked a treat.”
The Lairarrives on October 28 in theaters, on digital, and on demand. The film was also acquired by Shudder and is expected to stream in 2023. Check out the trailer below.
