From the director of Two Witches now comes a new indie movie, Traumatika, that seeks to redefine the horror slasher genre. With plenty of jump scares, fright sights, childhood trauma, and emotional pain to sift through, the film navigates horror on an unprecedented level and aims to recreate a low-budget masterpiece like the 2021 film.
Peter Tsigardis directed the film and co-wrote the script with Maxime Rancon. The duo also produced Traumatika, alongside the latter’s The Rancon Company. Tsigardis also acts as the cinematographer and editor of the film. Saban Films has acquired the North American distribution rights to the movie.
Tsigardis claimed that the film “blends the terror of demonic possession with the visceral intensity of slasher films and the realism of found footage.” Rancon added, Traumatika is a “love letter to the horror subgenres we grew up watching and obsessing over. It’s a twisted, relentless ride.” [Variety]
Traumatika: Plot, Cast, Rating, Reviews, and Release Date
The synopsis of the experimental new indie horror, Traumatika, on IMDb reads:
A young boy’s night terrors become reality when his mother begins showing signs of demonic possession. What he’s about to experience will haunt him for the rest of his life and claim countless lives across generations.
FrightFest claims that the film employs “multiple first-person point-of-view shots to immerse the audience in traumatic childhood experiences.” As such, the film strives to increase sensory impact with its innovative new take on the horror/slasher genre.
Currently, the film is rated at a generous 85% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 critics’ reviews that range from positive to excellent. Some are as follows:
DrumDums calls it an ‘emotional horror in the purest sense.’
Jenn Adams of Strong Female Antagonist claims, ‘Traumatika is a powerful metaphor for spiraling trauma, which seems to consume everyone in its path.’
Dan Tabor of Cinapse says the film does ‘excellent double duty, offering up the expected scares, while leaving some food for thought for those that peer below the surface.’
Nathaniel Muir of AIPT applauds the director, saying, ‘Pierre Tsigardis is able to walk the thin line between scaring the audience and not exploiting familial trauma. The result is a movie that is both shocking and terrifying.’
Below is the cast list of Traumatika, and their roles in the movie:
| Cast | Character |
|---|---|
| Rebekah Kennedy | Abigail |
| Ranen Navat | Mikey |
| Emily Goss | Alice |
| Susan Gayle Watts | Karen Novak |
| A.J. Bowen | Sheriff Miller |
| Sean O’Bryan | John Reed |
| Sean Whalen | Steve |
| Maxime Rancon | Volpaazu |
The film is scheduled to release on September 12, 2025, in the United States.
Traumatika Borrows Paranormal Activity’s Viral Marketing Campaign to Succeed
In 2009, the industry went haywire over the never-before-seen viral marketing campaign of Paranormal Activity. The studio put the power of distribution in the hands of the audience by having them vote for the film’s arrival in their respective cities. But even more ingenious was how Paramount refused to air the trailer of the film, instead showing a clip of terrified fan reactions to drum up excitement for the film. [Entertainment Weekly]
16 years later, the trick still works as Traumatika borrows from its horror ancestor and uses the audience to promote itself.
Hidden cameras captured audience’s reactions to the upcoming horror movie ‘TRAUMATIKA’.
In theaters on September 12. pic.twitter.com/UVjfcVVhQm
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 10, 2025
The resulting clip blends haphazardly cut shots of blood, gore, and nightmarish stills, juxtaposed with black-and-white hazy negatives of fans screaming, covering their faces, turning away, or having a full-body jerk reaction to whatever is happening on screen.
The title card across the clip reveals: This is not a movie you see. It’s a movie you survive.
The full original trailer is linked below:
Have you seen director Peter Tsigardis’ other works? Let us know what you thought of the trailer for Traumatika in the comments.
The film will premiere nationwide on September 12, 2025.
