Strange Murders on Campus in Social Media Horror 'Initiation' Trailer

by Alex Billington
April 5, 2021
Source: YouTube

"If this were to spiral out of control..." Saban Films has released an official US trailer for the indie horror Initiation, the latest from director John Berardo (also of The Labyrinth). This premiered at the Sitges & Screamfest Film Festivals last fall, and it will be arriving on VOD this May. Whiton University unravels the night a star-athlete is found murdered in his dorm during pledge week, kicking off a spree of social media slayings that force the students to uncover the truth behind the school's hidden secrets and the horrifying meaning of an exclamation point. What does it all mean, Basil?! Lindsay LaVanchy (who also co-wrote the script) co-stars with Jon Huertas, Isabella Gomez, Froy Gutierrez, Gattlin Griffith, Patrick Walker, Bart Johnson, Shireen Lai, Kent Faulcon, Yancy Butler and Lochlyn Munro. This looks like some crazy campus serial killer horror, not so much any commentary on university culture. Check it out.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for John Berardo's Initiation, direct from Saban's YouTube:

In Initiation, during a university’s pledge week, the carefree partying turns deadly serious when a star athlete is found impaled in his dorm room. The murder ignites a spree of sinister social-media messages, sweeping the students and the police into a race against time to uncover the truth behind the school's dark secrets... and also the horrifying meaning of a recurring symbol: a single exclamation mark. Initiation is directed by American filmmaker John Berardo, his second feature after making The Labyrinth previously, as well as many other short films and some TV work previously. The screenplay is written by John Berardo, Brian Frager, and Lindsay LaVanchy. This first premiered at the Sitges Film Festival last year. Saban Films will release Berardo's Initiation in select theaters + on VOD starting May 7th, 2021 coming up. Interested?

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