Play House Horror Movie: VHS Tapes and Divide/Conquer Back New Film
Mysterious VHS tapes, a crumbling house, and a children’s TV show that absolutely should not exist are at the centre of the upcoming horror film Play House, and yes, that premise alone is already doing emotional damage to anyone who grew up with late-night static and slightly cursed cartoons.
According to Deadline, genre powerhouse Divide/Conquer, the production company behind M3GAN, Heart Eyes, Freaky, and Totally Killer, will executive produce the project, immediately giving the film a level of horror credibility that micro-budget titles rarely get this early in development.
Currently in production in Los Angeles, Play House is shaping up to be one of those deceptively small horror projects that could quietly crawl under audiences’ skin and refuse to leave.
Play House Plot: VHS Tapes, Madness, and a Very Bad House Purchase
The film follows Elliot, a man who buys a dilapidated house in a desperate attempt to prove to his ex that he is finally capable of being a functioning adult. This is already a risky life decision in real life. In horror cinema, it is basically an invitation to supernatural chaos.
While renovating the property, Elliot discovers a stash of VHS tapes hidden in the basement. These tapes contain what appears to be an unaired DIY children’s television show, and from that moment on, things go downhill at the speed of a cursed tape being rewound.
What initially looks like a bizarre, low-budget kids’ programme slowly pulls Elliot into obsessive madness. As he watches more footage, it becomes increasingly clear that the tapes are not just strange relics of the past. They may be directly tied to the sinister history of the house itself.
In other words, this is less “home improvement project” and more “accidental descent into analog horror nightmare.”
Director Nicolas Curcio and the Fantastic Pitches Connection
Play House is directed by Nicolas Curcio, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kirby Gladstein. The project already has strong genre pedigree behind the scenes thanks to its origins.
The film was the inaugural winner of Fantastic Pitches, a micro-budget genre initiative spearheaded by Fantastic Fest and Chroma, which awarded the team $100,000 in production financing. The jury that selected the project included filmmaker Matt Johnson, genre icon Barbara Crampton, and filmmaker Toby Poser, all names with deep ties to independent horror and genre storytelling.
That endorsement alone signals that Play House is not just another random “creepy tapes in a house” concept. It is a project that impressed experienced horror voices before cameras even started rolling.
Cast Brings Indie and Genre Credibility
The cast for Play House blends rising talent with experienced character actors. Will Harrison, known for Daisy Jones & The Six and A Complete Unknown, leads the film as Elliot, anchoring the psychological spiral at the story’s core.
He is joined by Jessica Sula, whose credits include Split, Malum, and Godless, giving the film a strong connection to both psychological and supernatural horror. Jordan Gonzalez, recently seen in The Long Walk and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, also stars, alongside veteran actor James Urbaniak, whose recent filmography includes Oppenheimer, The Fabelmans, and Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
Additional cast members include Nina Millin and Kevin Keppy, rounding out an ensemble that mixes indie sensibility with genre experience.
Divide/Conquer’s Horror Track Record Matters
Having Divide/Conquer attached as executive producers is a major vote of confidence. Founded in 2013, the company has produced more than 30 feature films and has become one of the most reliable names in modern horror and genre cinema.
Their credits include M3GAN, Cam, Freaky, Totally Killer, The Voyeurs, and Heart Eyes, all films that blend strong concepts with distinctive tones rather than relying purely on jump scares or spectacle.
The company also recently signed a first-look deal with Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, further cementing its position within the current horror landscape. When a micro-budget project like Play House attracts that level of backing, it usually means the concept has serious potential.
Analog Horror and the Return of the VHS Nightmare
The premise of unearthed VHS tapes taps directly into the growing popularity of analog horror, a subgenre that thrives on distorted media, lost broadcasts, and unsettling archival footage. Films and series built around corrupted tapes and eerie recordings have proven especially effective because they blur the line between fiction and found media.
There is something inherently unsettling about obsolete technology. A streaming file can be deleted. A VHS tape feels permanent, physical, and suspiciously personal. You cannot accidentally “autoplay” your way into a cursed tape. You have to physically choose to press play. And that makes every viewing decision feel like a mistake in progress.
Play House appears to lean into that discomfort, using a children’s television show as the focal point of its horror. Historically, horror has repeatedly weaponised childhood nostalgia, turning innocence into something deeply unsettling. When done well, it is far more disturbing than any standard monster reveal.
A Micro-Budget Horror Film With Big Potential
The film is being produced by Ben Gojer, Jack Forbes, and Derek Tramont, with casting by Salvatore Schiavone. While the budget remains modest, the project’s development history, production backing, and genre positioning suggest it could punch well above its weight.
Micro-budget horror has a long history of breakout success, from The Blair Witch Project to Paranormal Activity. Audiences consistently respond to strong concepts executed with confidence, and Play House has the kind of premise that horror fans immediately latch onto.
A creepy house. Unreleased tapes. Psychological obsession. A children’s show that probably should have stayed buried.
That is not just a plot. That is a warning sign with a VHS label on it.
With production underway in Los Angeles and backing from one of modern horror’s most consistent production companies, Play House is quickly becoming a project to keep firmly on the radar. Because if horror history has taught us anything, it is this: when you find mysterious tapes in a basement, you do not watch them.
You definitely do not binge them.
