Welcome Villain Films has announced its latest acquisition, the highly controversial Australian horror film “Beaten to Death,” ahead of its premiere at Panic Fest. The film, directed by Sam Curtain and co-written by Curtain and Benjamin Jung-Clarke, tells the story of a man named Jack, who after making a desperate choice, finds himself stranded in the middle of nowhere, beaten and bruised. As he struggles against man, nature, and his own insanity, Jack must battle against deranged country psychos and the harsh landscape to survive.

“Beaten to Death” premiered at Australia’s A Night Of Horror International Film Festival and has since become the subject of both controversy and curiosity due to its extreme violence. The film has been called “a dark powerful horror film that will drag the audience through the dirt” by SodaAndTelepaths.com and “a genuinely great bit of Aussie horror” by DreadCentral.com.

In speaking about the film, Sam Curtain said, “From the initial story inception, I wanted to achieve two things. I knew I wanted to create a visceral and violent experience, but I also wanted to find beauty in the frame. This is partially the reason why I decided to shoot it myself, to capture everything in the moment, in a hands-on tactile way, connecting the direction between the actor, the lens, and myself.”

Luke LaBeau, Head of Development at Welcome Villain Films, said, “Beaten to Death is an absolute beast of a film, and is the type of boundary-pushing gut punch that the genre needs right now – it floored us.” Eric Kleifield, Head of Creative, added, “We love Outback horror, and this film lives up to its name and then some. Our motto is to be ‘a safe space for dangerous films,’ and this, most certainly, is a very dangerous film that will stick with viewers long after the credits roll. We’re proud to have Beaten to Death as part of the Welcome Villain family.”

“Beaten to Death” stars Thomas Roach as Jack, with David Tracy as the film’s main antagonist and Justan Wagner and Nicole Tudor in supporting roles. The film was produced by Libby Jessup, Sam Curtain, Benjamin Jung-Clarke, and Thomas Roach, featuring gruesome SFX makeup work from Danica Hadolt. It was shot on location in the Derwent Valley and Central Midlands, predominantly in southern Tasmania, Australia.

The film will screen at Panic Fest on April 18 and the Fantastic Film Festival Australia on April 28 before its domestic release this Summer. “Beaten to Death” promises to be a “very dangerous film” that horror fans won’t want to miss.