Jackie Earle Haley Stars in Game Show-Themed Slasher Your Host – Trailer Revealed Ahead of FrightFest Premiere
Veteran actor Jackie Earle Haley, with a career spanning more than 70 film and television credits, is adding another chilling role to his impressive résumé with Your Host.
Best known for playing troubled, intense characters — from Kelly Leak in The Bad News Bears to his Oscar-nominated turn in Little Children, and, of course, the uncompromising vigilante Rorschach in Zack Snyder’s Watchmen — Haley has consistently brought a unique edge to his performances. He has collaborated with cinematic heavyweights like Steven Spielberg (Lincoln) and Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island), and has explored horror territory in projects such as Maniac Cop, Dollman, the 2014 RoboCop remake, and his infamous portrayal of Freddy Krueger in the 2010 reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Now, Haley returns to the horror genre in Your Host, a game show-inspired slasher film that will make its world premiere at London’s FrightFest on August 22nd. With the premiere right around the corner, a new trailer has been released, offering audiences their first glimpse of the deranged “host” who will torment his unlucky victims.
A Deadly Game Show
Your Host, originally announced under the title I’m Your Host, is a production from Benacus Entertainment and RNF Productions. The film is directed by DW Medoff (I Will Never Leave You Alone) and written by Joey Miller. The story puts a sinister spin on both the slasher and “survival game” subgenres, blending familiar horror tropes with a twisted gameshow aesthetic.
The official synopsis sets the stage: Four 23-year-old friends head to a luxury cabin for a birthday celebration. Their night of partying takes a sinister turn when they discover a VHS camcorder recording them from the shadows of the woods. Later, while asleep, they are drugged by a mysterious figure clad entirely in black. When they awaken, they find themselves trapped in an abandoned factory, which has been transformed into a sadistic gameshow set.
Their captor, clad in a garish orange velvet suit and a terrifying mask, forces the group to play a series of gruesome and inventive challenges. The rules are simple: participate in the games or suffer violent consequences. As the games unfold, it becomes clear that the host has a personal connection to one of the friends, and he demands that the guilty party confess. If the culprit admits the truth, three will be allowed to live while one dies. But when no one comes forward, the group must endure a succession of torturous contests designed to turn allies into enemies, pitting survival against loyalty.
The premise sets up not just blood and brutality, but also psychological warfare, as the friends betray one another in their desperate bid to escape.
Cast and Characters
Haley takes on the role of the enigmatic host, bringing the kind of gravitas and menace that has defined many of his most memorable performances. The rest of the ensemble includes an array of rising talent:
- Ella-Rae Smith (Into the Badlands)
- Jamie Flatters (The Forgotten Battle)
- David Angland (The Devil’s Hour)
- Joelle Rae (Get Even)
- Eve Austin (You)
- Tom Claxton (The Boys in the Boat)
- Gerald Lepkowski (The Death of Stalin)
Together, the cast promises to deliver the emotional intensity and interpersonal conflict necessary for a survival horror story where each character’s choices carry life-or-death consequences.
Why Your Host Stands Out
The game show-slash-torture format recalls cult hits like Saw, The Collector, and Would You Rather, but with the added theatricality of a sadistic host reveling in his role as ringmaster. With Haley leading the charge, the film looks to strike a balance between grisly set pieces and unsettling psychological tension. The bright, over-the-top presentation of the gameshow setting clashes with the dark subject matter, creating a horror experience that is both grotesque and satirical.
For Haley, this marks another intriguing addition to a career defined by eclectic choices. Whether stepping into the shoes of a vigilante, a villain, or a deeply flawed everyman, he continues to embrace roles that push him — and the audience — into unsettling territory. Your Host may be one of his most unhinged roles yet, and for fans of slasher cinema, his presence adds an extra layer of credibility and dread.
With its FrightFest debut imminent, horror enthusiasts won’t have to wait long to see how Haley and Medoff’s twisted vision unfolds. The trailer already hints at a film that is equal parts brutal, bizarre, and darkly entertaining.
