XYZ FILMS
The Terrifying New Thriller From Jacob Aaron Estes,
Director of MEAN CREEK and DON’T LET GO
Hits U.S. VOD Nationwide Next Thursday, July 21st!
Jacob Aaron Estes, who wowed audiences with MEAN CREEK and his Sundance 2019 darling DON’T LET GO, offers up one of his most personal and thrilling tales yet with HE’S WATCHING, which lands on U.S. VOD next Thursday, July 21st, from XYZ Films.
Creating the project with his wife, musician Gretchen Lieberum, and children, Iris Serena Estes and Lucas Steel Estes, during the height of Covid-19 lockdown, the filmmaker originally conceived HE’S WATCHING as a way to stave off his family’s boredom while trapped in their home.
What it became was much more than that.
When happy-go-lucky siblings Iris and Lucas (playing fictionalized versions of themselves) are left alone while their parents recover from an illness, a series of playful pranks they play on each other escalate when they start receiving unsettling images and videos on their phones. With the incoming messages becoming increasingly nightmarish, Iris and Lucas realize something sinister has taken root in their home.
Featuring startlingly clever filmmaking and stunning debut performances from Iris Serena and Lucas Steel Estes, HE’S WATCHING builds into a visual nightmare that transcends not only the found footage genre, but all expected horror tropes.
Jacob Aaron Estes serves as the film’s director, writer, editor, cinematographer, producer, and co-star. The cast includes Iris Serena Estes, Lucas Steel Estes, and Gretchen Lieberum, all of whom additionally act as the picture’s producers.
About XYZ Films
XYZ Films is an independent studio whose mission is to empower visionary storytellers from every corner of the planet. XYZ was founded in 2008 by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian and has expanded in recent years into documentary, talent management, and distribution. Some of the company’s classic titles include THE RAID franchise, 2017 Sundance winner I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, and Panos Cosmatos’ psychedelic revenge thriller MANDY.
