Unearthing Ancient Terrors: Canadian Filmmaker Ryan Glover Returns to Shudder with the Super 16mm Folk-Horror Feature Split Rock
Main Facts
Horror streaming powerhouse Shudder is set to deliver an unconventional holiday gift to genre enthusiasts this winter. Split Rock, the highly anticipated sophomore feature from Canadian writer-director Ryan Glover, will premiere on the platform on December 25. Billed as a significant escalation in scope, scale, and visceral terror compared to his previous work, the film trades urban isolation for the unforgiving, sun-scorched expanse of the Saskatchewan badlands.
Shot on authentic Kodak Super 16mm film by cinematographer Nikolay Michaylov, Split Rock blends tactile cinematic artistry with subterranean dread. The narrative follows a pair of geologists—and romantic partners—who travel out to a remote, desolate rock formation to investigate an unusual underground magnetic anomaly. What they expect to be a routine geological survey instead unearths an ancient, malevolent, and destructive force buried deep beneath the earth.
The project first garnered industry-wide attention when Variety broke the exclusive acquisition news ahead of the film’s prestigious world premiere at Spain’s renowned Sitges Film Festival on October 9. Shudder has secured exclusive distribution rights for the film across the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
The feature boasts an impressive ensemble cast featuring some of genre and television’s most recognizable rising talents. Clark Backo (The Changeling, Venom: The Last Dance) stars as lead geologist Lauren, while Drew Ray Tanner (Riverdale) stars opposite her as Ben, her partner both professionally and domestically. They are joined by Olivia Luccardi (It Follows, The Deuce) as their colleague Sam, and Graham Verchere (The Fall of the House of Usher, Summer of ’84) rounding out the core team as an eager field intern.
Chronology of Release and Development
The journey of Split Rock from a remote Canadian production to an international festival circuit darling and, ultimately, a premier streaming event follows a carefully orchestrated timeline designed to maximize both critical acclaim and audience anticipation.
- October 9: Split Rock holds its world premiere at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain, introducing international horror critics and audiences to Glover’s gritty, film-stock aesthetic and slow-burn atmospheric dread.
- October 21: The film makes its highly anticipated North American premiere at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Notably, this screening provides audiences with a rare theatrical presentation, projecting a physical 35mm print of the film with key cast members and filmmakers in attendance for a live Q&A. This marks the sole announced North American theatrical chance to experience cinematographer Nikolay Michaylov’s Super 16mm framing on the big screen before the film transitions to digital streaming.
- December 25: Split Rock officially drops globally on Shudder, making its debut in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand as a marquee holiday-season horror release.
Supporting Data and Production Details
Behind the camera, Split Rock represents a collaborative effort by an experienced indie production team. The film is produced by Brian Robertson of Low End, Jefferson Moneo of Prowler Pictures, and Krista Dzialoszynski of Observer Effect. Their combined expertise in guiding atmospheric, character-driven genre projects helped secure the financing and aesthetic vision necessary to bring Glover’s expansive script to life in the rugged landscapes of Western Canada.
The choice of medium is particularly vital to the film’s identity. In an era dominated by hyper-clean digital cinematography, Glover and cinematographer Nikolay Michaylov opted for Kodak Super 16mm film stock. This decision lends the film a grainy, organic texture that mirrors the earthy, geological themes of the narrative. The tactile nature of celluloid enhances the sense of isolation and historical weight, making the alien subterranean presence feel even more tangible and abrasive.
The cast brings substantial genre credentials to the production:
- Clark Backo (Lauren): Brings dramatic gravity and genre savvy, having recently appeared in Apple TV+’s mind-bending series The Changeling and Sony/Marvel’s blockbuster Venom: The Last Dance.
- Drew Ray Tanner (Ben): Transitions from the glossy teen drama aesthetic of Riverdale into the gritty, dirt-under-the-fingernails reality of survival horror.
- Olivia Luccardi (Sam): Lends indie horror pedigree to the ensemble, having starred in David Robert Mitchell’s modern classic It Follows and HBO’s gritty period drama The Deuce.
- Graham Verchere (Trevor): Adds youthful vulnerability, fresh off Mike Flanagan’s atmospheric Netflix triumph The Fall of the House of Usher and the nostalgic thriller Summer of ’84.
Official Responses and Creative Vision
For writer-director Ryan Glover, Split Rock marks a vital evolutionary step in his filmmaking career. Glover is no stranger to the Shudder ecosystem; his 2020 feature directorial debut, The Strings, was also distributed by the platform, establishing him as a distinctive voice in contemporary Canadian psychological horror. However, Glover is eager to emphasize how much his new project diverges from his previous work.
In promotional statements surrounding the film’s release, Glover described Split Rock as his “bloodier, and far more ambitious second film.” He expressed genuine enthusiasm about continuing his relationship with the platform, stating that he is “very excited and thankful” to bring his work back to Shudder for a worldwide audience.
Shudder leadership has been equally vocal in their praise for the project. Emily Gotto, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Productions for Shudder, praised the film’s meticulous construction. In official remarks, Gotto characterized Split Rock as “a meticulously crafted world of psychological tension,” highlighting the platform’s ongoing commitment to championing auteur-driven, atmospheric horror that challenges traditional genre boundaries.
Implications for Independent Horror and the Streaming Landscape
The acquisition and release strategy for Split Rock sheds light on the shifting dynamics of modern horror distribution, particularly for mid-budget, artistically driven independent features.
The Survival of Celluloid in a Digital Age
By shooting on Super 16mm and granting a rare 35mm theatrical screening at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, the filmmakers and distributors are making a deliberate statement about the value of physical media and cinematic texture. In a streaming ecosystem largely optimized for digital home-viewing experiences, the deliberate embrace of film stock creates a bridge between traditional festival cinema and streaming accessibility. It caters to cinephiles who crave authenticity while leveraging Shudder’s massive global subscriber base to ensure the film reaches a wide audience.
Expanding the Canadian Horror Renaissance
Split Rock further cements Canada’s status as a powerhouse for distinct, regional horror storytelling. By utilizing the desolate, haunting beauty of the Saskatchewan badlands rather than standard urban or forested backdrops, Glover taps into a unique geographical anxiety. The badlands—with their exposed layers of ancient earth and prehistoric fossil beds—serve as a natural thematic extension of a story about unearthing things that were never meant to see the light of day.
Shudder’s End-of-Year Strategy
Dropping a major original feature on December 25 is a calculated move by Shudder. While mainstream platforms flood the holiday window with family-friendly content, counter-programming with high-concept horror captures an underserved demographic of genre fans looking for thrills during the winter break. Split Rock follows closely on the heels of other high-profile international acquisitions for the platform—such as the J-horror title New Group, slated for a November 6 release—demonstrating Shudder’s robust, year-round curation pipeline.
As the countdown to Christmas approaches and the anticipation builds from its festival runs in Sitges and Brooklyn, Split Rock stands poised to be one of the most talked-about indie horror releases of the winter season. Without relying on cheap jump scares, Glover’s bloodier, bolder sophomore effort promises to dig deep into the psychological frailties of its characters, leaving audiences questioning what truly lies beneath the surface of the earth we walk upon every day.
