EXCLUSIVE: AGC International has acquired international rights to Spooky Pictures and Image Nation’s psychological horror-thriller The Vile by Emirati director Majid Al Ansari, with the partners also unveiling a first teaser trailer for the film.
Emirati actress Bdoor Mohammad (Blood Wedding, 25 Fils) stars as devoted wife and mother Amani, whose life begins to unravel when her husband returns home with a second wife and an unseen darkness infiltrates her life.
Majid Al Futtaim – Vox Independent Distribution is distributing the film theatrically in the UAE and has set an October 30 release date for the territory. Film Clinic is handling the rights for post-theatrical in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The Vile breaks fresh ground as the first Emirati Arabic-language feature to come to fruition under the multi-picture slate partnership between Spooky Pictures, the L.A.-based genre label co-founded and run by Roy Lee (The Ring, IT, Barbarian) and Steven Schneider’s (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Split) – and Abu-Dhabi-based Image Nation.
Previous collaborations include Charlie Polinger’s The Plague starring Joel Edgerton, which premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard in May; Randall Okita’s Menace starring Isabel May, and Damian Mc Carthy’s Hokum starring Adam Scott.
The movie’s cast also features Saudi artist and filmmaker Sarah Taibah (Jameel Jeddan, Night Courier) as Zahra, the enigmatic new wife and rising talent Iman Doghoz (Makr, Kaboos) as Amani’s vulnerable daughter.
Al Ansari has been a trailblazer in the Emirates throughout his career. His first feature Zinzana (aka Rattle The Cage) – starring Saleh Bakri as a prisoner in a remote jail who finds himself at the mercy of a violent and corrupt police officer played by Ali Suliman – won international acclaim and became the first Arab language film acquired by Netflix.
His new movie blends supernatural tension with culturally grounded storytelling to offer a uniquely regional take on universal fears, through a story about family bonds, emotional conflict and testing unseen forces.
“The Vile is a bold and compelling film that demonstrates the power of local storytelling on a global stage. We’re proud to work with Majid Al Ansari once again and to bring forward a genre film that challenges, disturbs and deeply moves,” said Image Nation CEO Ben Ross.
The movie is produced by Lee and Schneider under their Spooky Pictures banner, and Rami Yasin (Hokum), with Film Clinic founder Mohamed Hefzy (Flight 404, Voy! Voy! Voy!) on board as Executive Producer.
“The Vile is exactly the kind of film we love to champion at Spooky Pictures – intimate, unnerving, and emotionally rich,” said Schneider.
“Majid Al Ansari has crafted a story that’s both deeply rooted in its cultural context and universally haunting. We’re excited to be part of a project that pushes the boundaries of psychological horror while introducing audiences to a powerful up and coming voice in genre filmmaking.”
Al Ansari added: “I wanted to tell a story that feels both intimate and unsettling; one that explores real emotional experiences through the lens of genre. It’s about love, fear and resilience, and what happens when the familiar turns unfamiliar, when the people we trust most begin to feel like strangers.”
