Writer-director Daniel Bogran brings mystery and plenty of twists in his feature debut, The Killing Moon (2026). This subversive psychological thriller sees its international premiere at Raindance Film Festival 2026 under the ‘Narrative Feature’ and ‘Horror’ categories. At a luxury mountainside retreat, wealthy couple, Olivia (Victoria Diamond) and Elliot (Ryan Caraway) attempt to enjoy their time away together amidst their endless bickering.
But their plans are thwarted when mysterious stranger, Rory (Matthew Leone) knocks at their door – bloodied and wounded. The differences in how they react creates an interesting dynamic and power struggle. Its story then centres on these three characters and it feels like they can’t all get along without feeling weird. There’s something odd happening between the lines, but it’s only revealed slowly and at the perfect moments.
The Killing Moon: A Perfectly Crafted Offbeat Atmosphere
Bogran creates an offbeat atmosphere which adds to this impending feeling of doom. There’s jealously, manipulation, and seduction at play as Olivia and Rory start to get along much better than with her partner. Throughout Act one and Act two the story seems quite straightforward until Bogran cleverly switches up the narrative. What we thought we knew about The Killing Moon suddenly changes.
The twists just keep going throughout this story. Its horror elements are quite subtle until Act three which brings more chase, violence, and increases the tension. Bogran’s cast are strong at bringing believability and forming chemistry between their characters.
There are also great shots of nature around the luxurious retreat, including a scenic lake. But with all this calm means there’s a storm brewing. Its story sets a reminder that what we see on the surface may not be what lies beneath. The primal urge of jealously and resentment takes power and the couple struggle to communicate their feelings without frustration and paranoia taking over.
Unnerving Tension
The Killing Moon speaks on marital issues, trust, and ultimately wealth. Bogran certainly creates immense suspense, unpredictably, and a brilliant sense of unnerving tension. Its cast brings their all to this story. But of course, it’s within the strong script which brings its solid start. With a few opportunities to sell the screenplay and achieving a ‘recommend’ status on the Blacklist along the way, Bogran ultimately decided to direct and bring justice to his story. The Killing Moon was a standout at Raindance this year. And we’ll be keeping an eye out for Bogran’s future work.
Rating: 4 stars
The Killing Moon is part of Filmotomy’s coverage of Raindance Film Festival 2026.
You can read more reviews from Raindance, including Animals (2026) here.