After over a decade of dormancy, The Bench, a lost horror film from 2007, has finally been completed and is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video. The film, which was inspired by Tobe Hooper’s iconic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), aims to capture the gritty, raw energy of 1970s American horror, bringing it to a new generation of viewers.
The Bench was the brainchild of writer and director Sean Wilkie (Matter of Time), who led a group of emerging filmmakers and actors into the Scottish wilderness in the summer of 2007 to create a low-budget horror film. Shot on HDV tape, the movie attempts to embody the same guerrilla filmmaking spirit that made classics like The Blair Witch Project so memorable. Now, the long-lost project has been revived thanks to Magic Monkey Films, offering a terrifying homage to the genre-defining horrors of the past.
The film follows a group of friends who, drawn to a mysterious bench in the woods, are hunted by an unseen force. As they grapple with the malevolent entity, they begin to disappear one by one, echoing the relentless suspense and fear of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The Bench features early performances from notable actors such as Joy McAvoy (Filth), Matt McClure (Penny Dreadful), and Tony McGeever (Shetland). The film is also enhanced by a killer soundtrack that includes tracks from Moby, The Rainbow Girls, and Blue Sky Archives, featuring Chvrches lead singer Lauren Mayberry.
For horror enthusiasts and fans of vintage, gritty storytelling, The Bench is now available for streaming on Prime Video.
