DWF NYC 2026 Review: I Know Exactly How You Die

A writer’s retreat turns unsettling as fiction and reality begin to overlap in I Know Exactly How You Die.

A Promising Indie Horror That Finds Its Footing—Eventually

The 2026 festival season is officially underway, and as usual, Dances With Films is one of the first stops on the road. Before Slamdance even fully spins up, DWF is already delivering genre titles worth digging into, and one of the early horror entries arriving ahead of the New York City edition is I Know Exactly How You Die.

Directed by Alexandra Spieth and written by Mike Corey, the film stars Rushabh Patel, who also produces and anchors the story as Rion, a writer racing against a deadline. Seeking focus, he retreats to a run-down roadside motel—an all-too-familiar decision in horror cinema that rarely ends well. What begins as an isolation play quickly spirals when the events Rion puts on the page begin manifesting in the real world.

At the motel, Rian crosses paths with Katie (played by Stephanie Gomes Hogan), a woman who feels uncannily familiar—not because he’s met her before, but because she exists inside the story he’s writing. Complicating matters further, Katie appears to be fleeing a violent past, possibly involving a lover turned serial killer. From there, the film leans into a fever-dream structure where fiction, guilt, paranoia, and violence bleed together.

Where It Struggles

There’s no getting around it: the first half of I Know Exactly How You Die is rough. Structurally, it’s shaky, with scene transitions, spatial logic, and narrative beats that don’t always line up. Certain moments feel unintentionally off-kilter rather than purposefully surreal, and early on, the confusion works against the film instead of building tension.

This is the stretch where some viewers may disengage. The film asks for patience before it earns trust—and that’s a risky move, especially in indie horror where momentum is everything.

Where It Finds Its Voice

Thankfully, the second half is a noticeable improvement. Once the story commits fully to its internal logic and thematic direction, the film becomes more confident, more focused, and far more engaging. The ambiguity begins to feel intentional rather than accidental, and the decision not to tie up every loose end works in its favor.

There’s also a growing sense that the filmmakers believe in what they’re doing—and that conviction carries the film across the finish line. The ending, while vague, feels earned rather than evasive.

Performances across the board are solid, particularly given the limitations of location, cast size, and resources. The single-location approach is used intelligently, and the film’s stripped-down construction actually reinforces its psychological tension.

Final Thoughts

I Know Exactly How You Die is not without its flaws, but it’s also not a failure. It’s an earnest, deeply independent horror film that struggles early, steadies itself, and ultimately lands somewhere respectable. The concept is strong, the second half delivers, and the creative risks—while not always successful—are worth acknowledging.

This may very well be a project shaped by pandemic-era constraints, and if so, it makes impressive use of what it has. While it never quite reaches the level of a standout breakout, it’s a solid way to kick off the 2026 horror slate.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Not bad. Not forgettable. And absolutely worth checking out if you’re attending Dances With Films NYC.

World Premiere: January 17, 2026 — Regal Union Square

If you’re at the festival, this one’s worth a look.