Swallowed is the new queer horror nightmare you need to add to your watchlist

A man pushes a wheelbarrow with a body in.

A new queer horror movie, Swallowed, aims to bring scare seekers a story of drugs, bugs and extremes – where all is not as it seems. 

Swallowed, which will be released in the UK and Ireland digitally on 24 April, is a Blue Finch Film by acclaimed director Carter Smith who has also worked on the 2008 natural horror, The Ruins. 

Starring American actor Jena Malone, whose credits include The Ruins and Donnie Darko, Mark Patton, who starred in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Cooper Koch and Jose Colon, Swallowed is an action-packed horror that will see viewers glued to the screen. 

Close up of man putting something into his mouth
Swallowed will be released digitally in the UK and Ireland on 24 April. (Blue Finch Films)

The movie follows protagonists Benjamin and Dom who have been best friends since they were kids. 

But in an unexpected twist, viewers discover that Benjamin has been in love with Dom for almost as long as he has known him. 

As Benjamin gets set to head to Los Angeles to pursue his career, Dom concocts a plan to make his best friend some quick cash that entails them doing a risky drug run across the border. 

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However, the bags they swallowed in a bid to facilitate the smuggle may not have been what they thought. 

The queer horror has been played at BFI Flare, FrightFest, Fantasia Film Festival and The Overlook Film Festival, where it received top ratings. 

So far, 2023 has been the year of horrors, and in February it was announced that Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa is set to star in a new Airbnb horror by the creator of Saw.

The YouTuber and TikTok star, 19, will channel Sidney Prescott in All My Friends Are Dead, alongside fellow Nickelodeon actress Jade Pettyjohn.

To mark the release of Scream VI, and PinkNews’ exclusive interview with stars Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, PinkNews has created a must-see list of 15 horror legends, based only on how queer their vibes are.