A Film by Ashley Levy
Horror Short · 2026
The Story
A mother and son, seeking refuge in an abandoned house, uncover a mystery locked inside a seemingly innocuous gallery of paintings.
Feelings of entrapment, escapism, maternal instinct, and pure terror are evoked as a mother must fight to discern reality from imagination in time to save both herself and her child.
Setting & Atmosphere
"Malerij" explores the sinister world of old European folklore through the art of the Dutch Golden Era of Painting. Haunting, foreboding, and sinister themes explored through saturated visuals and stylized aesthetics.
Visual Language
Cinematography
The People & Entities
Three figures at the center of a collision between the supernatural and the maternal.
Having given up everything to protect her son, Helen's refusal to acknowledge his foreboding premonitions ends up costing her everything.
Dorian will follow his mother to the end of the earth. When he starts to realize that there's more to these portraits than meets the eye, staying put ends up being more dangerous than being on the run.
An entity drawn from ancient Eastern European folklore that feeds on the souls of children. Dry, flaky skin and a dark heresy of a mouth define this creature.
The Performers
Widely recognized as a "scream queen" for her breakout role in Eli Roth's Cabin Fever. Her work spans It Waits, Return to House on Haunted Hill, Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, and over 50 screen credits across horror, thriller, and comedy.
Frequently associated with the horror and thriller genres. Notable appearances include The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead, Dead by Midnight: Y2Kill, and Bigfoot: The Conspiracy.
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