Full Moon Madness Looms in ‘Mother Nocturna’ This September

Prepare for a chilling psychological journey as Daniele Campea’s award-winning Italian horror, Mother Nocturna, arrives on VOD and digital platforms across the US, Canada, Italy, and the UK on September 27th. This atmospheric thriller, blending psychological tension with supernatural elements, promises to captivate audiences as they follow one woman’s eerie descent into madness.

Inspired by Euripides’ The Bacchae, Mother Nocturna explores the fragile mental state of Agnese, a wolf biologist recently released from a mental institution. As she attempts to reconnect with her estranged family in their remote woodland home, Agnese is plagued by mysterious visions and an overpowering connection to the moon. Her sense of reality begins to fracture as supernatural forces, including the haunting presence of the “God of the woods,” tighten their grip on her mind and body. With the oppressive sound of the wind as her constant companion, Agnese spirals deeper into her isolation, leaving audiences questioning what is real and what is imagined.

Directed by Campea, who also penned the screenplay, Mother Nocturna made a significant impact on the festival circuit, winning Best International Feature Film at the XX Ravenna Nightmare Film Fest and Best Feature Film at the Eerie Horror Fest. The film’s haunting tone is enhanced by a static camera style, which Campea designed to evoke the feeling of a painting, inviting viewers to feel the slow passage of time alongside the protagonist’s unraveling psyche. The score, featuring selections from Arcangelo Corelli’s “La folia” and Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma, adds a layer of tension, its nervous and pervasive energy mirroring Agnese’s fragile state of mind.

Starring Susanna Costaglione in a powerhouse performance as Agnese, Mother Nocturna also features Sofia Ponente, Edoardo Oliva, and Elena Battarin. The film’s cast, setting, and eerie narrative are complemented by a moody visual aesthetic that envelops viewers in the claustrophobic world Campea has crafted.

In discussing the film’s themes, Campea noted, “I wanted to portray the descent into madness of a woman condemned to isolation, both physical and psychological. The pandemic acts as a detonator for her already fragile mental state, and through still visuals and erratic sound, I aimed to make the audience feel her slow and inevitable unraveling.”

Mother Nocturna will be available on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play across North America, and on Prime Video and Apple TV in Italy and the UK… Just in time for autumn’s spooky season.

Mother Nocturna trailer