Veins Explores Shocking Afterlife Revelations in Chilling Body Horror Thriller

On November 18, 2025, Canadian director Raymond St-Jean's new body horror thriller Veins world premiered in the main competition program of the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. The film offers a chilling exploration of what happens to our loved ones after death.

The plot follows Isabelle, who travels to the nearly abandoned town of Saint-Étienne with her girlfriend to visit her parents. Isabelle is shocked to learn that her father has died a few days ago and has already been buried, without her knowledge or invitation to the funeral. As she seeks answers from her mother and uncle, the film delves into the unsettling realities of mortality and social issues like assisted dying and the impact of industry shutdowns on small communities.

While director St-Jean acknowledged the influence of fellow Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, known as the "father of body horror," he clarified that Veins was not directly inspired by Cronenberg's work. The director, who was too young to watch Cronenberg's films in his youth, shared that he is not a big fan of the body horror genre as a viewer, but found it well-suited to serve the film's poetic and dramatic exploration of death and social themes.

Veins marks the first body horror movie shot in Quebec, breaking new ground in the province's cinematic landscape. With its chilling premise and thought-provoking social commentary, the film is poised to captivate audiences and critics alike.