Overview
- The film premiered in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness program in September 2026 and received broadly positive reviews from critics.
- River is Joshua Giuliano’s feature debut and follows three grieving siblings whose boat breaks down on a remote West Virginia river and turns into a brutal survival slasher.
- Reviewers singled out Jane Levy’s lead turn and strong support from Jessica Rothe and Max Mattern while calling the film a tight, actor-driven horror.
- Critics praised the movie’s use of location, evocative cinematography, and manipulative sound design to create dread, and they compared its tone to 1970s slasher touchstones.
- U.S. distribution is expected to be theatrical via IFC with a later Shudder streaming window, and a mid- or post-credits tease at TIFF suggests the film could be developed further if it performs well.