EXCLUSIVE: Dark Sky Films — the genre-focused label run by Watermelon Pictures co-founders Badie and Hamza Ali — has picked up U.S. distribution rights for The Vile, an Arabic-language psychological horror thriller from Emirati director Majid Al Ansari that has already earned awards on the festival circuit.
Produced through a collaboration between Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios, the picture made its debut at Fantastic Fest in Austin in September 2025, where it took home the festival’s Best Horror Feature prize. It has since continued to screen internationally, playing at Sitges, the BFI London Film Festival and Busan.
The Vile is the first Arabic-language feature to come out of the Spooky Pictures–Image Nation Studios partnership. The cast is led by Bdoor Mohammad (known for Blood Wedding) alongside Sarah Taibah (Jameel Jeddan), with supporting performances from Iman Tarik, Jasem Alkharraz and Samira Al Wahaibi. Al Ansari directs from a script he developed with co-writer Johnnie Alward.
The U.S. deal was brokered by Justin DiPietro, Executive Vice President at MPI Media Group, together with Jason Ishikawa of Cinetic Media, who negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers.
Mohammad portrays Amani, a devoted wife and mother whose seemingly stable household unravels when her husband brings home a second wife, Zahra (played by Taibah), who is expecting his first son.
Refusing to leave and determined to safeguard her daughter Noor, Amani fights to maintain her place in the household as a series of unsettling incidents escalate. As psychological strain and possible supernatural forces begin to intertwine, Amani grows suspicious that Zahra conceals a dark secret — and her quest to uncover the truth threatens to overwhelm her.
Mixing intimate domestic drama with elements of supernatural terror, The Vile examines themes of betrayal, trauma, motherhood and the shifting dynamics of power within a home, all told from a distinctly Gulf cultural standpoint. The film marks Al Ansari’s return to feature filmmaking after his acclaimed debut Zinzana and his work directing episodes of Netflix’s Paranormal.
Justin DiPietro praised the project as the kind of international genre work Dark Sky aims to support, calling it daring, culturally rooted and genuinely unnerving. He highlighted Al Ansari’s transformation of a personal family conflict into a sophisticated horror movie and singled out Bdoor Mohammad’s performance as a central strength, expressing eagerness to introduce the film to American viewers.
Al Ansari explained that he wanted to craft a horror story in which the fear emerges not only from what might be hidden in the shadows but from the emotional ruptures inside a family. He noted that while The Vile is grounded in a world and culture he knows intimately, the emotions of betrayal, fear and a mother’s fight to protect her family resonate universally, and he said he’s pleased to partner with Dark Sky Films for a U.S. release.
The Vile’s producing team includes horror veterans Roy Lee (Weapons, Barbarian), Steven Schneider (Strange Darling, Paranormal Activity), Derek Dauchy (Late Night with the Devil) and Rami Yasin (Hokum, Watcher), with Mohamed Hefzy (Voy! Voy! Voy!) and Yasir Al Yasiri (Hwjn) attached as executive producers.
Dark Sky Films has not yet announced specific U.S. release dates or plans for The Vile.
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