‘The Rows’ Trailer Teases FrightFest Home-Invasion Horror Set in a Cornfield

A new trailer has been released for The Rows, Seth Daly’s minimalist home-invasion thriller, ahead of its International Premiere at this year’s FrightFest. The feature will screen on 25 August as part of the festival’s official selection, joining a slate that celebrates original voices in genre cinema.

Shot on 35mm in rural Ohio, The Rows follows seven-year-old Lucy, who wakes up in a labyrinthine cornfield with a head wound and no memory of how she got there. As she stumbles upon a corpse and a discarded firearm, she is hunted by three masked killers who are determined to find her before nightfall. With only her family dog and a mysterious golden creature lurking in the rows for protection, Lucy must outwit her pursuers and escape the field alive.

Writer-director Seth Daly, making his feature debut after a series of short films, described the project as crafted with the theatrical experience in mind. Citing influences such as No Country for Old Men, The Strangers and The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Daly opted for minimal dialogue, leaning heavily on visual tension, atmospheric sound design and old-school craftsmanship.

Brindisi Dupree, just ten years old, stars as Lucy. Already building a reputation as a committed young performer, her work in The Rows is gaining early attention for its physicality and raw emotional depth. Supporting roles are played by Lara Pictet (Secret Identity), Marcus Woods (Fatal Attraction, Finding Nicole), Hans Heilmann (The Lord of All Future Space & Time), Mary Montoya, Rynn Reigns, Douglas Fries and Daly himself.

Produced on a micro-budget, the film’s grainy celluloid look and lean structure evoke a throwback aesthetic rarely seen in contemporary horror. Daly’s decision to shoot on 35mm not only underscores the film’s commitment to practical, in-camera techniques but also nods to the legacy of American slasher cinema.

FrightFest’s inclusion of The Rows reflects its ongoing dedication to championing new talent. The festival, which began in 2000, has played a key role in launching the careers of directors such as Neil Marshall and Christopher Smith. Daly now joins that lineage with a film that aims to immerse audiences in a claustrophobic and relentless survival scenario, led by a protagonist whose age makes her ordeal all the more harrowing.

The Rows will have its International Premiere at FrightFest on 25 August.

For more information on this year’s fantastic FrightFest, and for tickets, visit frightfest.co.uk.

The Rows trailer