Grotesque Folk Horror 'Mother of Flies' Hits Streaming Tomorrow
A disturbing new folk horror film from acclaimed indie filmmakers premieres on major streaming platforms, featuring visceral imagery and deeply personal storytelling that transforms family cancer history into supernatural nightmare.
Horror enthusiasts constantly hunt for fresh scares in the independent film world. Last year delivered standout titles like Bloody Axe Wound, Fréwaka, and The Ugly Stepsister. Now 2026 kicks off with Mother of Flies, dropping tomorrow on AMC+ and Shudder.
The Adams Family trio - Zelda Adams, John Adams, and Toby Poser - wrote and directed this latest folk horror entry. Their previous works include Hellbender, Hell Hole, and Where the Devil Roams. This talented group deserves wider recognition for their consistently haunting output.
Exclusive Preview Reveals Disturbing Imagery
An advance clip showcases the film's grotesque atmosphere. The scene opens on tattooed hands while agonized screams fill the audio. A man violently vomits blood and chunks of undigested meat. Snot streams from his nostrils as the retching continues relentlessly.
The uncomfortable sequence stretches on before revealing the man staring at a hideous, decaying corpse. The dead body returns his gaze with complete indifference. This minute-long preview suggests the full movie will test viewers' stomachs.
Plot Centers on Desperate Medical Situation
The story follows Mickey, played by Zelda Adams, a young woman facing terminal illness. She ventures into the woods with her father Jake, seeking supernatural healing from a mysterious hermit named Solveig. Toby Poser portrays this reclusive figure who practices death magic.
Mickey endures three days of extreme rituals. But magical cures come with steep prices, and curses become gifts for others. Buried family secrets surface as the boundary between life and death dissolves. Mickey confronts dark truths known only to the dying.
Personal Cancer History Fuels Creative Vision
Mother of Flies premiered at Fantasia International Film Festival with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Critics called it "creepily fun" and praised its "stunning imagery." The Adams Family used this project to process their own cancer experiences.
"The human body has a habit of dying - too soon, too late, often painfully," they explained. "Horrors of the body, like cancer, are real; are human horror." They transformed personal trauma into something "viscerally new, resurgent, alive - and yet, inevitably, still brutal."
The 92-minute film features John Adams as Jake and Lulu Adams as Mickey. Fans can stream it starting January 23 on both AMC+ and Shudder platforms.