Sébastien Vanicek is a French writer and director who has recently been announced as the director of the next film in the Evil Dead franchise. The news was surprising to some as Vanicek’s debut feature, Infested, will not be released until 26th April 2024. Those that managed to catch Infested (also known as Vermines) on its festival circuit however, will know exactly why he has been picked.
In Infested, Kaleb (Théo Christine) is about to turn thirty and has never been lonelier. He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out to survive.
Those with an aversion to spiders may want to think carefully before settling down to watch Infested as Vanicek delights in throwing hordes of arachnids onto the screen. Alongside Sting and Arachnophobia, Infested is set to induce plenty of nightmares for arachnophobes. But importantly, Infested has a deeper, more political message to it than merely spiders run amok. It’s a wonderful blending of thrills and thought-provoking topics that ensures Infested will be both remembered and talked about.
Infested will arrive on Shudder from 26th April, and prior to its release, THN spoke with Sébastien Vanicek. The interview saw us discuss why spiders are scary, how they are as cast members, his hopes for the film, and exactly how he got hired for the new Evil Dead movie. Watch the full interview video now.
Infested will arrive on Shudder for streaming from Friday 26th April 2024.
