Lockdown Horror Comes Alive in ‘Our Happy Place’ at Raindance

Dogwood Cinematic has unveiled its latest psychological thriller Our Happy Place as part of the 33rd Raindance Film Festival’s Horror Strand, with an International Premiere set for 20 June at London’s Vue Piccadilly. The film centres on Raya, portrayed by newcomer Raya Miles, who cares for her ailing husband within the confines of their isolated home. Haunted by relentless nightmares, Raya awakens each morning lost in a forest of freshly dug graves, her dreams bleeding into reality and forcing her to confront a long-buried terror within the woodland and her own psyche.

Conceived and filmed during the height of pandemic restrictions, Our Happy Place was crafted under quarantine conditions in the hills outside Los Angeles. Director and writer Paul Bickel—making his feature debut after helming the short films Hollow and Turning Japanese—and lead actor Miles shot entire sequences locally, later bolstering the cast when health guidelines eased to include veteran performers Tracie Thoms of Rent, Looper and The Devil Wears Prada, alongside Eugene Byrd of 8 Mile, True Blood and American Horror Story. The claustrophobic effect of lockdown life directly informs the film’s tight camera work and creeping sense of dread.

Alongside Miles and Bickel, Our Happy Place features Paul Bickel himself in a supporting role, Tracie Thoms as the local therapist drawn into Raya’s spiral, and Eugene Byrd as the psychiatrist whose rational world collides with the supernatural. Their performances anchor a story in which the line between dream and waking world collapses under the weight of unspoken guilt and otherworldly menace.

Raindance’s dedicated Horror Strand, running from 19–22 June, has once again expanded its remit to showcase films that push genre boundaries into folklore, erotica, technology and primal fear. Festival director Paul Ridd has assembled a programme aiming to reflect the full spectrum of modern terror cinema, and Our Happy Place promises to stand out as a haunting meditation on grief, isolation and the dark corners of the mind.

Festival delegates, press and genre film fans will gather to witness the film’s UK debut on 20 June, ahead of Dogwood Cinematic preparing Our Happy Place for wider release. For ticketing and further information visit Raindance Film Festival’s official channels.

For more information on the film and the event, plus to get tickets, visit: raindance.org/

Our Happy Place trailer