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Desert Trip Turns Violent: Friends Fight for Survival
6 Apr
Summary
- A desert getaway escalates into a violent struggle for survival.
- The film draws inspiration from a director's terrifying personal experience.
- Shudder will release the film on June 12, 2026.
Shudder has acquired the feature film "Find Your Friends," written and directed by Izabel Pakzad. The movie is scheduled for release on the platform on June 12, 2026. It stars Bella Thorne, Chloe Cherry, Helena Howard, Sophia Ali, and Zion Moreno.
The film follows Amber and her closest friends as they embark on a trip to Joshua Tree. Their vacation quickly becomes a nightmare when they encounter hostility from locals, leading to escalating threats.
Internal tensions within the group begin to surface as their situation grows more dangerous, transforming the trip into a fight for survival. Pakzad revealed that the film's premise was inspired by a terrifying car chase she experienced during a getaway with friends in Joshua Tree.
"Find Your Friends" premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival and also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. The distribution deal covers North America, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Australia, and New Zealand. Pakzad, an Iranian-Greek American filmmaker, previously directed the short film "Don't Worry," It's Gonna Be OK.
Shudder's senior vice president of acquisitions and productions, Emily Gotto, described the film as a visceral experience that rethinks the "final girl" trope. The movie was produced by Allison Friedman, Andrea Iervolino, Luca Matrundola, Monika Bacardi, Gary Michael Walters, and Pakzad, with Thorne serving as executive producer. WTFilms is handling international sales.
