Sea Goddess or Serial Killer in ‘The Drowned’

Sunrise Films and Vertigo Releasing will bring Samuel Clemens’ debut feature The Drowned to digital platforms this autumn, unleashing a seaside terror rooted in Greek mythology. The film follows three art thieves who, having stolen a priceless painting, retreat to a remote coastal safe house only to discover their fourth accomplice is nowhere to be found. As suspicions mount that one of them may be responsible, an unseen presence stirs beneath the waves, turning their refuge into a prison of dread.

The Drowned premiered at London’s FrightFest Halloween earlier this year under its original title The Waterhouse. It stars Alan Calton – fresh from Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning – as the heist’s ringleader, joined by Lara Lemon of War of the Worlds: The Attack and Lily Catalifo from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Dominic Vulliamy of BBC One’s Rules of the Game appears as a suspicious accomplice, while Corrinne Wicks, Michelangelo Fortuzzi and Sandrine Salyères round out the cast caught in Clemens’ claustrophobic thriller.

Clemens both wrote and directed the 84-minute feature, weaving classical motifs of sea gods and sirens into a modern crime tale. Agam Jain, George Clemens and Fernando Ruiz produced under Take The Shot Films, with James Kermack and Julien Loeffler on board for Featuristic Films. Raven Banner Entertainment handles global sales.

Viewers in the UK and Ireland will find The Drowned available from 6 October, followed by North America on 7 October and Australia/New Zealand on 8 October. Sunrise Films coordinates the North American and ANZ roll-outs on major VOD and digital outlets.

Vertigo Releasing, known for championing award-winning indies such as Sound of Metal and Boiling Point, adds The Drowned to its digital catalogue alongside recent hits Dangerous Animals and Late Night with the Devil. The company cites its commitment to fresh talent and innovative genre storytelling as it readies this myth-infused horror for a wider audience.

As the tides of suspicion wash over Clemens’ thieves, audiences will have to decide whether the missing accomplice fell victim to greedy human hands or a sea-born horror that refuses to stay submerged.

Check out the trailer below.

The Drowned trailer