FrightFest 25' Jackie Earle Haley Hosts a Nightmare in Velvet in Your Host

Jackie Earle Haley leads a deadly game of survival in the twisted horror-thriller Your Host.

Jackie Earle Haley Hosts a Nightmare Game in Your Host, Premiering at FrightFest 2025

Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen, A Nightmare on Elm Street) is back—and he’s not playing nice. In DW Medoff’s twisted new horror film Your Host, Haley steps into the role of a velvet-clad, masked tormentor who traps four unsuspecting friends in a deadly game of secrets, survival, and betrayal. The film will have its World Premiere at FrightFest on August 22, marking a sinister return to the kind of sadistic terror that echoes Saw, but with a darkly theatrical flair.

Your Host stars Ella-Rae Smith (The Stranger), Jamie Flatters (Black Dog), David Angland, and Joelle Rae as a group of 23-year-olds celebrating a birthday at a secluded luxury cabin. Their party takes a horrifying turn when they discover a VHS camcorder filming them from the woods. That night, a shadowy figure drugs them in their sleep—only for the group to awaken inside a run-down factory transformed into a twisted gameshow stage.

There, the titular “Host” (Haley), dressed in an orange velvet suit and mask, forces them to play a series of escalating challenges. Lose a game, and you suffer. Refuse to play, and you die.

But this isn’t random. The Host harbors a secret grudge tied to one of the captives—and offers the group an out: confess who’s responsible and three will go free. Refuse, and the torture continues. As trust erodes and survival instincts kick in, the line between victim and villain disappears. To escape, they must win—but at what cost?

Director DW Medoff was drawn to Joey Miller’s script not just for its horror potential, but for its moral complexity. “There’s a sense of powerlessness in the face of consequence,” Medoff explains. “Every character is a victim and a wrongdoer. No one can decide what’s right for you—not even me, the director.”

Producer Seth Michaels added, “It’s a true honor to have our world premiere at FrightFest, a festival that’s showcased so many genre-defining films. We hope Your Host hits audiences as hard as the classics that came before it.”

Produced by Benacus Entertainment and RNF Productions, Your Host is set to deliver a sadistic thrill ride laced with secrets, psychological breakdowns, and blood-soaked betrayals. Get ready to play… or perish.

World Premiere: August 22, 2025 at FrightFest (Festival runs August 21–25)

Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Ella-Rae Smith, Jamie Flatters, David Angland, Joelle Rae

Directed by: DW Medoff

Produced by: Benacus Entertainment, RNF Productions