‘Water Rites’ First Look – Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace Reunite in Indie Horror Film [Exclusive]

Two of the stars of Wes Craven’s original horror classic The Hills Have Eyes, Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace will reunite in Water Rites, and we’ve got an exclusive first look.

From Collective Imagination Productions, the indie film Water Rites stars Katy Bentz and Dean Jacobs along with genre icons Dee Wallace, Michael Berryman, and Lynn Lowry.

The story follows James and Katie, a young couple taking a break from their lives in Los Angeles by spending the summer at a secluded lakefront community nestled high in the San Bernadino mountains. However, after unwittingly uncovering some of the locals’ secrets, the couple’s idyllic retreat quickly turns into something neither of them can return from.

Water Rites is Dean Jacobs’ sophomore effort as writer and director. His first feature, The Trip, was one of Terror Films most successful releases of 2024 and is available for streaming on multiple platforms such as Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Tubi and more.

Principal photography just wrapped on Water Rites in late April in the small mountain town of Lake Arrowhead, CA. Jacobs hopes the film will look and feel “beautifully creepy.”

“I wanted everything to be bigger and better for my second feature,” he explains. “My first film was shot on an extremely low budget and in many ways felt like a trial. I wanted to level up on all fronts and that’s exactly what we did. From cast, to locations, to everything in-between, this film will be a step up. And I can’t wait to show the world what we’ve been working on.”

Stay tuned for more on Water Rites, which is expected to release later this year.