‘Heat of Madness’ Trailer Descends Into a Bloody Nightmare from ‘Megalomaniac’ Director

Holy shit.

We have our first look at the trailer for Karim Ouelhaj‘s Heat of Madness, world premiering at the Sitges International Film Festival soon. And oh my god, does it look horrific.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise from the director of Megalomaniac, a nihilistic as hell film that seriously fucked me up for a couple of days. Described as a new “bleak, transgressive experience”, Heat of Madness sure looks like it’s going to fit the bill.

Here’s the official synopsis: On the verge of becoming a father, Scola is hoping to make it big with one final heist… but when he’s betrayed by his accomplices, he becomes blinded by the obsession to recover his loot. Embarking on a vengeful quest that leads him into a supernatural world, Scola meets Petite Pomme, a mysterious figure who tries to open his eyes. Lost on a road trip that feels like purgatory, Scola has to decide whether to face reality or sink entirely into madness. Heat of Madness navigates the blurred boundaries between obsession, guilt, and redemption in a world where the real and the supernatural collide.

Get a Load of the Nightmarish Trailer

Olivier Picard, Julie Carroll, Claudio Dos Santos, and Louise Moor star.

Producers are Florence Saâdi and Karim Ouelhaj via their production house, OKAYSS.

Said Ouelhaj, “Heat of Madness represents a major step in my career. It combines a striking visual aesthetic with a fully immersive sensory experience, each frame designed as a self-contained pictorial composition. Drawing inspiration from art history (Retzsch, Millet, Spilliaert, Magritte) and Dante’s Purgatorio, the film explores the layers of the human soul as well as our personal, psychological journeys. While visually ambitious, remains accessible – offering an intense, immersive, and emotionally resonant cinematic experience to its viewers.”