Dark Sky Films Acquires ‘The Vile’ Out of Fantastic Fest

Dark Sky Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights to The Vile, the award-winning Arabic-language psychological horror thriller from Emirati filmmaker Majid Al Ansari, reports Deadline.

Bdoor Mohammad stars as a devoted wife and mother Amani whose seemingly stable family life is shattered when her husband returns home with a second wife, Zahra (Sarah Taibah), who is pregnant with his first son.

Determined to remain in the home and protect her daughter Noor, Amani fights to preserve her place within the family as increasingly disturbing events begin to take hold. As the line between psychological torment and supernatural threat starts to blur, Amani becomes convinced that Zahra is hiding something sinister — and her search for the truth threatens to consume her.

Blending intimate family drama with supernatural horror, The Vile explores betrayal, trauma, motherhood and the shifting balance of power inside the home through a distinctly Gulf perspective.

The first Arabic-language feature produced under the partnership between Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios, The Vile stars Bdoor Mohammad (Blood Wedding), Sarah Taibah (Jameel Jeddan), Iman Tarik, Jasem Alkharraz and Samira Al Wahaibi. Al Ansari directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Johnnie Alward.

Produced by Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios, the film premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin in September 2025, where it won Best Horror Feature, before continuing its international festival run at the Sitges, BFI London and Busan.

“I wanted to make a horror film where the fear comes not only from what may be lurking in the darkness, but from the emotional upheaval happening inside the family,” said Majid Al Ansari. “The Vile is rooted in a world and culture I know intimately, but the feelings of betrayal, fear and a mother fighting to protect her family are universal. I’m excited to partner with Dark Sky Films to bring the film to audiences across the United States.”