Terror Tales Explode in ‘Rufus’ Ahead of Digital Launch

Mars Roberge’s latest feature Rufus is set to hit digital platforms on 25 November, bringing with it an anthology steeped in fear, folklore, and razor-edged social commentary. Distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures, the film arrives fresh from an impressive festival run that has cemented its reputation as one of the boldest independent horror releases of the year.

Serving as the Official Closing Night Film of The New York Science Fiction and Horror Film Festival, Rufus has already collected several major awards, including Best Horror Film at both the Los Angeles Independent Filmmakers Showcase and the L.A. Punk Film Festival, as well as Best Supernatural Feature at the New York Science Fiction and Horror Film Festival. For a filmmaker long associated with irreverent, outsider cinema, the response signals a career peak.

The anthology is anchored by Freeway Ricky Ross as the titular Rufus, a man who gathers friends and relatives to share five disturbing stories despite the objections of his wife. From there, the film unspools into a series of unsettling tales that move between the surreal and the socially charged. A mortician discovers the dangers of working the wrong shift, a singer stumbles onto corruption lurking beneath the music industry, and a futuristic adoption scheme reveals chilling implications. The film also delves into medical dread and the psychological fallout of war, connecting each thread through Roberge’s acidic sense of humour and fascination with human vulnerability.

The cast features an eclectic mix of performers from punk, indie film, and alternative culture. David J, Debra Haden, Rah Digga, Jim Sclavunos, Spookey Ruben, Monique Parent, Verona Blue and Jennifer Drake all contribute to the film’s unpredictable energy. It’s a roster that speaks to Roberge’s roots, with many of his collaborators drawn from the worlds of underground art, performance, and music. Breaking Glass Pictures CEO Rich Wolff has expressed enthusiasm for the film’s uncompromising tone, positioning it squarely within the distributor’s reputation for boundary-pushing cinema.

Roberge’s own artistic history is as unconventional as the film he’s made. A figure associated with the Hellawood movement, he has spent decades moving between filmmaking, editing, underground DJ culture, and multimedia art. From his punk comedy Scumbag to the drag-scene documentary The Little House That Could, he has built a filmography defined by off-kilter characters, social extremes and an unfiltered approach to storytelling. With Rufus, he continues that streak, channelling years of experience in underground spaces into an anthology that feels both deeply personal and sharply confrontational.

Rufus will be available on digital platforms from 25 November.

Rufus trailer