Horror Mystery Explodes Online with ‘Man Finds Tape’

Vertigo Releasing has confirmed that Man Finds Tape, the unsettling found footage horror from Austin filmmakers Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman, will launch on UK digital platforms on 19 January 2026. Following its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, the film now heads to a wider audience with a release that positions it as an early-year highlight for genre fans.

Hall and Gandersman, who previously collaborated on the novel The Dead Friends Society, step into feature directing for the first time, using their experience in production to construct a fictional documentary stitched together from disturbing video fragments. Drawing on paranormal folklore, small-town secrecy and a fractured sibling relationship, the film leans heavily into practical effects and analogue-style tension. Their partnership with Rustic Films producers Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead and David Lawson Jr puts Man Finds Tape in the company of titles such as The Endless and Synchronic, signalling a similar interest in atmospheric mystery built from grounded, character-first horror.

The story follows documentarian Lynn Page, played by Kelsey Pribilski in her Tribeca debut, who returns to her Texas hometown after a cryptic phone call draws her toward a series of uncanny clips showing events the locals claim never happened. Her brother Lucas, played by William Magnuson, achieved brief notoriety through a viral web series also titled Man Finds Tape, fuelling suspicion that he is either hiding vital information or has been manipulated by forces neither sibling fully understands. Their investigation leads them into the heart of Larkin, Texas, where missing memories, strange phenomena and a menacing outsider converge, pointing toward a creature that preys on the town’s secrets.

The supporting cast includes John Gholson, Brian Villalobos and Nell Kessler, while the production team behind the camera boasts an extensive list of genre specialists. Cinematography is by David Coone, editing is split between Tyler Mager and Gandersman, and the score is composed by Jimmy LaValle. Ashley Landavazo not only produces but oversees production design and costumes, further cementing the film’s handcrafted aesthetic.

Vertigo Releasing continues its run of high-profile genre titles with this latest addition, joining recent successes such as Late Night with the Devil and Good Boy. With a January release across Amazon, Apple TV, Sky Store and YouTube Movies, Man Finds Tape looks set to find a broad UK audience intrigued by its blend of occult mystery, documentary structure and escalating dread.

More details are expected ahead of launch, but Hall and Gandersman’s debut already arrives with festival momentum, a strong producing slate and early praise for its practical effects and inventive structure.

Man Finds Tape trailer