Antrum was developed by Amito and Laicini, during the development on a separate project, in which they were brainstorming possible scenarios that they could include in the film. The central idea, that would later become the basis for Antrum, came from the concept of what it would be like to watch a purported "cursed" film, which the filmmakers felt would make for a great horror film. For the film's occult aspects, Amito and Laicini studied various historical and cultural depictions of demons and the devil, while further inspiration came from a short film by David B. Earle titled Dining Room or There is Nothing, which Laicini claimed to have seen while in film school. American actress Nicole Tompkins was cast in the lead role of Oralee, while child actor Rowan Smyth was cast in the role of her younger brother Nathan. Principal photography took place in Southern California, over a period of one month.
Antrum made its world premiere at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival on 14 October 2018, and was screened at other film festivals, where it was nominated for several awards. Uncork’d Entertainment later acquired North American distribution rights to the film, later releasing it via Video-on-Demand and streaming services in Fall 2019. It received positive reviews from critics who praised its atmosphere, acting, and creativity, while some criticized its pacing, runtime, and plot.
In 1979, a film named Antrum—shot in English but of apparently Bulgarian origin—is submitted for inclusion in a variety of film festivals; none accept it. After each rejection, the various festival directors die under suspicious circumstances. Several years go by during which the film remains unseen until it mysteriously appears at a theater in Budapest in 1988. During the screening, a fire—initially believed to be the result of a faulty projector—burns the theater to the ground. Investigators later determine that audience members set the fire themselves.
The film again goes unseen for many years until it is screened in a theater in California in 1993. Prior to the film, a concession stand worker dosed the popcorn with LSD; the combination of the drug and the imagery of Antrum resulted in a riot during which a pregnant woman was killed. Following this screening, all copies of the film apparently vanished, and it earned a reputation as being cursed.
In 2018, a copy of Antrum surfaces, prompting a documentary crew to make a short film on its history and impact. Although the origins of the movie remain unknown, scientists and film experts who examine the 35 mm reel determine that, among other unique properties, the film utilizes disorienting sounds and subliminal imagery. The documentary crew further determines that unrelated, black-and-white snippets of an apparent snuff film have been spliced into the original movie by a third party. The documentary pauses so that Antrum may be presented in its entirety for the first time in 25 years.
Antrum concerns siblings Oralee and Nathan, whose pet dog, Maxine, was recently euthanized. After Nathan asks if Maxine went to Heaven, their mother teases him with saying that because she was a bad dog, Maxine has gone to Hell. Nathan has a nightmare of a false memory where Maxine attacked him, for no apparent reason, which resulted in her being euthanized. Traumatized, Nathan begins experiencing disturbing dreams and visions of demons. In an effort to ease his mind, Oralee claims to have obtained a grimoire from an imaginary classmate named Ike whom she claims is versed in the occult. Using the book—in fact, a sketchbook Oralee has filled herself with arcane drawings and "spells"—she takes Nathan to a nearby forest locally renowned as a place for suicides, telling him that it is the place where Satan fell to Earth when he was cast out of Heaven and that if they can find the place where he landed, the pair can dig a hole to Hell and rescue Maxine. Oralee guides Nathan through a series of rituals and "rites," intending all along to arrange for Nathan to discover Maxine's collar in the woods as a "sign" they have saved her soul. As the day progresses, Oralee is disturbed to find that her "spells" are having an apparent effect on the real world, conjuring actual infernal figures. Additionally, the pair accidentally interrupt a man attempting seppuku, and obliviously pass by the rotting corpse of a suicide near their campsite.
Their first night in the woods, Nathan slips out of the tent and sees a boat being rowed in a nearby stream by a figure resembling Charon, who ferries a nude woman. He likewise hears a rattling chain that he attributes to Cerberus. The next day, Nathan and Oralee stumble upon a pair of cannibals in the woods, who capture and cook people alive inside a giant, iron statue of Baphomet, including the man whose suicide attempt they earlier interrupted. When the cannibals become aware of their presence, Oralee attempts to take herself and Nathan to safety by abandoning their camp and rowing downriver in the boat Nathan saw the night before; the pair both end up falling into the water. Oralee and Nathan make it to shore, only to realize they have moved in a circle and are back at their camp. As they hide for the night, Oralee confesses the ruse to Nathan, but he claims to have met Ike. Nathan further tells Oralee that Ike told him not to trust her.
The next morning, the cannibals capture them and attempt to cook Nathan, but Oralee escapes her cage and frees him. As Nathan flees, Oralee obtains a gun and shoots the cannibals to death. In the woods, Nathan stumbles across a dog with its paw caught in a bear trap. Nathan frees the animal, taking it as a sign he has freed Maxine from Hell. A "The End" title card appears onscreen; the film abruptly resumes, following Oralee as she runs through the woods, pursued by demons, and experiencing violent hallucinations. She hides in the pair's tent, aiming her gun at the entrance. As Nathan approaches, a panicked Oralee prepares to fire and the film ends.
The documentary resumes shortly after this, with scholars observing a rune seen throughout the film belonging to a demon named Astaroth; examples of the rune appearing subliminally throughout the film are shown as historians recount tragedies attributed to the demon throughout history.
Lately, another low-budget movie that is literally on everyone’s watch list is ‘Antrum.’ The title of the film—which claims that it’s the deadliest film ever made—itself manages to get your attention and with just one look at its premise, you’re hooked. With so much hype around the realism of its premise and its catchy title, you can’t but wonder if its over-the-top claims are actually true. Well, here are all the answers for you.
Is Antrum a True Story?
Before we answer this question, let us just walk you through a brief synopsis of its storyline. According to the plot of the movie, ‘Antrum’ is the name of a feature-length film that was shot way back in the 70s. Urban legends surrounding this film suggest that it’s cursed and anyone who dared to watch it ended up dying. It all started off in 1988 when the film was first screened in Budapest. This is where its screening theatre burnt to the ground, killing 56 people. Following this, several inexplicable deaths took place and all of them harkened back to the curse of the movie.
Getting back to the big question, it is pretty obvious that ‘Antrum’ is not actually based on a true story. However, inside the universe of the movie, the cursed film ‘Antrum’ is real and can very well take the lives of those who come in contact with it. The film’s entire setup reminds you of ‘The Ring‘ (‘Ringu’ in Japanese) which revolves around a similar storyline. Just like ‘Antrum’, ‘The Ring’ is also about a cursed movie tape that kills anyone who ends up watching it. The extreme supernatural elements of ‘The Ring’ make it pretty evident that it’s not based on a true story. On the other hand, the lack of these makes ‘Antrum’ a lot more believable.
Is Antrum Actually Cursed?
No matter how many times you watch it, the tape from ‘The Ring’ creates an unsettling atmosphere that creeps right under your skin. ‘Antrum’ does something similar with its quasi-documentary style and 70s setup. All of this makes its false claims of being real a lot more believable.
Even during its opening scenes, the film claims that it’s a “rediscovered print from the 1970s of a long-lost cursed cult horror movie” and also warns a viewer that watching it is not safe. However, all of this is simply a scheme to make it go viral. ‘Antrum’ claims to have been released in the 1970s but it did not come out before 2018. Its entire “cursed movie” setup is a mere gimmick that cleverly lures you in as a viewer and makes you believe that it’s a real lost footage film of some sort.
In conclusion, ‘Antrum’ can either be labeled as a publicity stunt or simply a genius method of viral marketing. ‘The Blair Witch Project’ used news article snippets, interviews, and also fake “missing students” posters to create a similar hype around it and that’s the reason why people still look back at it as one of the creepiest horror movies ever made. ‘Antrum’ manages to pull this off with its lo-fi trailer, simple yet interesting storyline, and of course, its title. This shows all the endless possibilities that come with the internet era and also, proves that as movie-goers, we are, at times, drawn to movies that are restricted in some way.
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