HNN Exclusive: First Look at ‘EAT’ before it heads to HOLLYSHORTS, MAD MONSTER, AND QUEER SCREAMS

Multi-hyphenate filmmaker Barrett D. Carroll’s new queer horror short, EAT, is set to thrill festival audiences this August. The film has already captured the attention of major genre voices, including Jeffrey Reddick, the creator of the blockbuster Final Destination franchise. Reddick highly praises the short, calling EAT “a visceral, unsettling descent into repression and desire, with a dark sense of humor and unease that threatens to devour.”

The psychological horror film follows a tense and contemporary narrative. When a flesh-hungry stranger and a closeted husband connect through a kink app, what begins as sexual exploration spirals into a night of primal horror. The film aims to prove that in the digital age, the most dangerous appetite is the one we choose to indulge.

Written, directed, and starring Barrett D. Carroll, the production features an ensemble of highly recognizable television and film talent. The cast includes Devin Way (The Comeback, Queer as Folk), Kahyun Kim (Cocaine Bear, American Gods), and Brandon Delsid (The Rehearsal, New Amsterdam). Emmy-nominee Dot-Marie Jones (Glee, American Horror Story) also stars in the pivotal role of Linda. Enhancing the film’s tense atmosphere are shocking, practical makeup FX designed by Steven Imhoff, whose notable previous work includes Halloween Ends, Nope, and Fallout.

Behind the camera, EAT boasts a powerhouse team of veteran genre and indie filmmakers. Aurora Perrineau (Westworld) executive produced the project alongside Oscar-nominated producer Andrew Carlberg (Skin) and former Fangoria editor and producer Tony Timpone. This trio joined Anthony Del Negro (Ladybug, Don’t Let the Cat Out) and Dylan Canfield to bring the unique vision to life, with Christopher Sheffield (The Mean One) and Chris Labadie (Breeder) serving as producers.

Audiences can catch EAT on the festival circuit throughout August 2026. The film will make its first stop at the Queer Screams Film Festival on August 16. It will then head to the Mad Monster Expo running from August 21 to August 23, followed by a prestigious screening at the HollyShorts Film Festival on August 22.