Hypnosis Turns Deadly in ‘Past Life’

Miracle Media has set a spring release for Past Life, a psychological thriller from Grimmfest director Simeon Halligan, with the film heading to UK cinemas on 20 March before arriving on digital platforms on 6 April 2026.

Led by Aneurin Barnard, the Manchester-shot feature blends trauma, suggestion and unsolved murder into a story that pivots on the fragile boundaries of memory. Barnard plays Jason, a decorated war reporter attempting to adjust to civilian life after years covering conflict in the Middle East. Though outwardly composed, he remains haunted by what he has witnessed.

An attempt at distraction takes an unexpected turn when Jason attends a late-night hypnosis show with his wife Claira, played by Pixie Lott. On stage, celebrity hypnotist Tim, portrayed by Jeremy Piven, claims he can unlock memories of past lives. Jason dismisses the spectacle until a snap of Tim’s fingers plunges him into vivid visions of 1980s-era killings, experienced through the eyes of a serial murderer.

The sessions trigger a chain reaction. Jason becomes consumed by images of violence that feel less like imagination and more like recollection. Claira, increasingly alarmed, urges him to return to the hypnotist in the hope of regaining control. Instead, further sessions deepen the mystery, exposing details that suggest a connection to real, unsolved crimes.

Nicholas Farrell appears as retired journalist Elliot Reed, who assists Jason in piecing together the clues emerging from these hypnotic trances. Tim McInnerny also features in a supporting role, rounding out a cast that spans British stage and screen veterans alongside international names.

Halligan, whose previous features include Habit, White Settlers and Splintered, directs from a script that leans into paranoia and fractured perception. As Jason’s investigation intensifies, a fresh murder raises the stakes, prompting fears that something dormant has been stirred. Whether Jason is uncovering a long-buried truth or unravelling under psychological strain becomes the film’s central tension.

Set against recognisable Manchester locations, Past Life positions its intrigue within an urban landscape rather than gothic isolation, grounding its more surreal elements in contemporary reality. The trailer teases a tightly wound thriller where hypnosis becomes both a tool and a threat.

Past Life receives a limited theatrical release from 20 March, followed by its digital debut on 6 April via Miracle Media.

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