Brit film producer Jonathan Sothcott and his London based production house Hereford Films are set to release their first nerve-jangling horror feature Aura this August. The “Blumhouse style” US-set science horror explores the curious world of Kirlian energy/photography within the context of a supernatural, possession movie. It’s an innovative and frightening looking spin on a classic horror concept, that blends the best of many sub-genres.
“Aura tells the story of Mitch Walker and his wife Diane who inherist his uncle’s house. Inside they discover an old camera designed for Kirlian Photography – the practice of capturing the subject’s ‘Aura’. Mitch’s sister Karen suffered a serious trauma at the house during her childhood after being tied up by their uncle and has been institutionalized ever since. As Mitch pieces the facts together with the help of local clairvoyant, Ada, he realizes that their uncle was in fact trying to free Karen from an ancient demon that possessed her. Bringing the now adult Karen back to the house, Mitch and Ada try to free her of the demon but there are dark forces at work and all is not as it seems.”
HeyUGuys received some exclusive images from Aura (below). The stills evoke that edgy kind of dread laced air of those classic 1970s haunted house horrors like The Changeling, The Legend of Hell House and The Amityville Horror, a pinch of the unsettling grainy possession flicks: Audrey Rose, Amityville 2 and Burnt Offerings with the fashion of more modern day fright features like The Conjuring and Annabelle.
Sothcott, a massive horror fan, also cites Hammer Horror as a major influence and commented: “We are incredibly proud of Aura – it’s a terrific little horror movie and we believe it will give us the momentum to become a major player in the genre. Drawing influence from both Blumhouse and Hammer we are aiming to make 6 horror pictures per year. I don’t believe there has ever been a horror story about Kirlian Photography – it’s a unique concept and one I’ve wanted to bring to the screen for some years. The film has been so well received that we are already planning a sequel.”
The fresh and fascinating subject of Kirlian photography suggests Aura will be a unique, genre bending step into exciting new terrain for Sothcott and Hereford. With horror being extremely hot property at the moment following last year’s ridiculously gargantuan financial/ Oscar winning successes (It and Get Out), Hereford have so far scheduled three other horror projects for production in 2018 (Pentagram, Tormented and Demonicus). So we can all get ready for a hair-raising, scare blazing and fright loaded couple of years!
Aura is due to be released in the UK and USA in August, by 4Digital Media and Sony respectively.
