Lila McLaughlin makes her directorial debut for the horror film Don’t Let Them Out, starring Emily Rios, Bonnie Root, and Louis Ferreira.
An upcoming independent horror film with Hereditary and The Conjuring vibes is creeping its way toward screens. Screenwriter Lila McLaughlin (My American Obsession, Foreign Exchange Student) is stepping behind the camera for her directorial debut, shooting from a script she wrote that sounds bone-chilling in all the best ways. Joining McLaughlin for Don’t Let Them Out are Emily Rios (Breaking Bad, The Bridge, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), Louis Ferreira (Bad Blood, Motive, SGU Stargate Universe), and Bonnie Root (Cold Case, Coming Soon, Sissy) as primary cast members.
According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, Don’t Let Them Out follows “a struggling woman who journeys to a property she has inherited in hopes of selling it to pay off her debts. But upon arriving to the property, the story takes a terrifying turn when the woman is lured into a desperate scavenger hunt down a perilous rabbit hole.”
McLaughlin and Root are teaming up to produce Don’t Let Them Out, which is soon to end production. Seasoned editor Eric Strand joins the team after working his magic on films like Deep Blue Sea, Donnie Darko, Lethal Weapon 4, and more.
A product of the improvisational comedy outfit Second City, Lila McLaughlin wears many hats as a writer, director, cinematographer, editor, producer, and more. She wrote and directed the short film Stiff Napoleon, focusing on an aspiring journalist who must prove he’s up to the task when he gets a shot at writing his first article. Aside from dealing with the shenanigans of his meddling co-worker, he gets more than he bargained for when he finds his unpredictable and unruly subject.
McLaughlin followed Stiff Napoleon with the short My American Obsession, revolving around a Frenchman coming to America for inspiration for his poetry. The final short film in McLaughlin’s early career is the drama Foreign Exchange Student. In the movie, a young couple takes in a foreign exchange student without knowing the consequences of their actions. McLaughlin’s other directing credits include helming five Good Times Web Series episodes.
With name drops like Hereditary and The Conjuring, horror fans will expect something special from McLaughlin’s first feature film. The premise sounds solid enough, and who doesn’t enjoy venturing down a dangerous rabbit hole? Let’s go!
