HOW FAR DOES THE DARK GO? Premieres at QSFF – A Queer Vampire Romance with Bite

Chloe Carroll and Anna Hindman share a hypnotic connection in How Far Does the Dark Go?, premiering at Queer Screams Film Festival.

How Far Does the Dark Go? is the kind of queer horror that seduces you before it scares you. Written and directed by Bears Rebecca Fonte, this supernatural romance thriller will have its world premiere on Saturday, August 2nd at the Queer Screams Film Festival., and it already feels like a blood-slick instant classic.

Set in the forgotten subway tunnels beneath Philadelphia, the film follows Grace (played by Anna Hindman), a nurse whose life is defined by addiction and disappointment. She’s drifting—until she’s kidnapped by Evienne (Chloe Carroll), an ageless vampire who’s been haunting the undercity for over eighty years. But Evienne doesn’t want to kill Grace. She wants her to save someone: her still-human son Henry (genre legend Robert Picardo), who’s dying of cancer.

From there, things spiral—not into terror, exactly, but into something far more dangerous: obsession. What begins as a hostage situation softens into a sensual, surreal entanglement. Grace finds herself drawn to her captor, blurring the line between desire and delusion. Is she falling in love with Evienne, or just being consumed by her? The film leans into that tension hard, letting its characters drift in and out of moments that feel real, then unreal, then all too true.

It’s a story rooted in queerness—full of dangerous women, haunted exes, and bloodlines both literal and emotional. Sam Rothermel plays Tempest, Evienne’s vengeful ex-girlfriend, who returns to town full of bloodlust and fury. Meanwhile, a vampire slayer named Dayanara (Telita Perry) is hunting them all. But Grace doesn’t want to be rescued. The undead life might offer her more control than she ever had as a human—and that’s where How Far Does the Dark Go? really sings.

What makes the film even more special is its style. Fonte pays tribute to mid-century Technicolor thrillers, but blends it with a modern, synthy soundtrack and bold, expressive performances. It’s campy, yes—but it’s also deeply committed to its emotional core. Chloe Carroll and Anna Hindman are magnetic, pushing their scenes past melodrama into something wounded and weirdly romantic. Add Robert Picardo to the mix, and you’ve got a trifecta of performances that ground the film even in its wildest moments.

How Far Does the Dark Go? is queer horror the way it should be—horny, tragic, otherworldly, and completely unafraid to be too much. It’s about addiction, control, queerness, and the parts of us we give away to feel powerful. It’s not just a story about monsters. It’s a story about the parts of ourselves we’re scared to live with—but even more scared to let go.

Premiering August 2nd at the Queer Screams Film Festival., this one’s already high on our must-watch list for 2025.

Follow @HMUNCUT and @TravisNyquill for exclusive coverage, and keep an eye out for interviews, red carpet chaos, and post-screening reactions.