Horror Gets a New Face as ‘I See the Demon’ Premieres at Grimmfest

Jon Heder is taking an unexpected turn into horror with I See the Demon, a psychological sci-fi chiller that will receive its international premiere at Grimmfest 2025 in Manchester later this week October. The film marks Heder’s first venture into serious horror after two decades of comedic and dramatic roles, including Napoleon Dynamite and Blades of Glory.

Written and directed by Jacob Lees Johnson in his feature debut, I See the Demon centres on Lucy, a young woman who finds herself trapped in a warped version of her own birthday party. Played by Alexis Zollicoffer (Freaky Tales), Lucy quickly realises that something is terribly wrong when her memories begin to fragment and her guests insist that everything is fine. What unfolds is a tense and surreal descent into psychological torment, where the distinction between illusion and truth becomes fatally blurred.

Joining Zollicoffer and Heder are Mallory Everton (Stop & Go), Noah Kershisnik (The Killing of Two Lovers), Dave Martinez (Kill Me) and Archelaus Crisanto (Deadstream). The film premiered at Cinequest earlier this year, earning early praise for its tense atmosphere and powerful lead performance.

For director Jacob Lees Johnson, I See the Demon builds on the haunting themes of his previous short films The Thief and Dissolution. A multi-hyphenate filmmaker who also edited the feature, Johnson crafts what early viewers have described as a claustrophobic, disorienting experience – one that uses horror to explore trauma, repression and the manipulation of reality.

Heder’s role signals a distinct shift from the offbeat characters that defined his early career. While best known for his comedic charm, he has recently taken on a broader range of projects including the biographical drama Waltzing with Brando and the animated adventure Thelma the Unicorn. His performance in I See the Demon is said to reveal a darker, more introspective side of the actor.

Grimmfest, now in its seventeenth year, continues to champion new voices in genre cinema, showcasing twenty-one feature films at Manchester’s ODEON Great Northern from 9 to 12 October. The festival’s 2025 edition includes premieres featuring stars such as Dev Patel, Rosy McEwen and Jeremy Piven, further cementing its reputation as one of the UK’s most vital platforms for bold and original horror.

You can catch the international premiere of I See the Demon at 1.00pm on Friday 10th October, at Grimmfest. For more information and tickets, visit: grimmfest.com/

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