Since it debuted at Canada’s Fantasia Film Festival in 2022, The Harbinger has been terrifying audiences. It comes as no surprise as director Andy Mitton’s last movie, The Witch in the Window was wickedly creepy. The Harbinger surpasses Mitton’s previous film thanks to its pandemic backdrop.
When her oldest friend is plagued by horrific nightmares from the beyond, Monique (Gabby Beans, House of Cards) is forced to travel to NYC. On the first night of the visit, Monique learns the dreams are contagious – and so is the HARBINGER, the plague mask-wearing demon who not only feeds on its victims’ souls, but warps reality itself to remove any trace of their existence. The Harbinger is written and directed by Andy Mitton (The Witch in the Window) and also stars Emily Davis (The Plagiarists) and Raymond Anthony Thomas (Shutter Island).
THN have been big fans of The Harbinger since we caught it at Fantasia, our review citing it as “easily the best pandemic-set horror since Rob Savage’s Host.” The Harbinger uses the audience’s own anxieties as a foundation for what is to follow. With such an emotional touchstone laced throughout, the fear that Mitton generates is genuine and palpable. Watching The Harbinger is a sure-fire way to give you nightmares.
The success of The Harbinger rests with Mitton. The filmmaker wrote, directed, edited, and composed for the film, giving him full control over his creation. With the restrictions of travel eased, Mitton travelled across the globe with The Harbinger. THN crossed paths with the director several times on the festival circuit and finally managed to pin him down for a chat in the lead up to the UK digital release. Our discussion turned to how festivals help indie films, what makes The Harbinger so unsettling, and why the pandemic was included in the storyline.
FrightFest Presents and Signature Entertainment releases The Harbinger on Digital Platforms 23rd January.
