Tennessee Gothic is a 2019 American comedy horror film about a widower and his son who offer a beautiful young woman refuge on their farm.
Written and directed by Jeff Wedding (A Measure of the Sin; Blind) based on the short story ‘American Gothic’ by Ray Russell (Incubus; X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes; The Premature Burial; Mr. Sardonicus), the movie stars William Ryan Watson, Jackie Kelly, Victor Hollingsworth and Wynn Reichert. The cinematography was handled by Eric Stanze (director of In Memory Of; Ratline; Deadwood Park; Scrapbook) in 16mm.
Plot:
Caleb (William Ryan Watson), the teenage son of a dim-witted widower (Victor Hollingsworth), offer a beautiful young woman named Sylvia (Jackie Kelly) refuge on their farm, their living situation escalates from hysterical comedy to maddening horror once they discover she’s not who she says she is…
Reviews [click to read more]:
” …Tennessee Gothic gets a lot out of mileage out of its strong central performances and quirky tone, starting off like a trashy, extreme drive-in movie before swerving into oddball country-fried sex comedy (complete with the wildest “greased pig” contest ever) and finally ending in full-on supernatural horror.” Mondo Digital
“The film is like a slightly over the top traditional Southern Gothic until the last act. Then it becomes very obvious Sylvia is much more than just a beautiful and wily woman playing a bunch of horny guys off against each other. The final revelation of her true nature caught me off guard, although it should have been obvious.” Voices from the Balcony
The press release states that Tennessee Gothic plays on themes displayed in folklore, most notably the ballad La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats.
Release:
Tennessee Gothic premiered at the Belcourt Theater in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 15th 2019, followed by a VOD and Special Edition Blu-ray release that same day.
Cast and characters:
William Ryan Watson … Caleb; Jackie Kelly … Sylvia; Victor Hollingsworth … Paw; Wynn Reichert … Reverend Simms; Christine Poythress … Mrs Simms; Jason Christ … Ronnie; Jim Ousley … Store Clerk; Chip Ramsey … Paul; Harry Walker … Tommy
Filming locations:
Nashville and Viola, Tennessee
Trailer:
