Shudder may have scored the steal of Fantasia with Penny Lane is Dead. The Aussie horror by director Mia-kate Russell, in her debut feature, is the film I’ve heard the most buzz about from my friends who attended. And now, just a month ahead of its release, the first trailer has arrived, full of blood, gore, retro vibes, queer love, and female rage.
Set on a hot summer’s night in 1986 Australia, Penny Lane is celebrating getting into college with her longtime girlfriends Toni and Amy. The night, however, does not turn out as planned. After Penny’s jealous and troubled cousin Kat decides a cruel prank is in order, what begins as a thoughtless spiked cupcake game spirals into a night of bloodshed. In the Ozploitation tradition, Mia-kate Russell’s debut feature is a blood-soaked descent into love, betrayal and survival, infused with dark comedy and rage.
Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn, Tahlee Fereday, Alexandra Jensen, Bailey Spalding, Ben O’Toole, Steve Le Marquand, and Fletcher Humphrys lead the cast. Russell directs from her own screenplay.
Shudder will begin streaming Penny Lane is Dead on August 28th.
