Neil Marshall’s The Lair kicks off FrightFest 2022

The line-up for the 2022 edition of FrightFest has been announced, with Neil Marshall’s new movie The Lair kicking of proceedings in style.

Neil Marshall is one of the UK’s most successful horror helmers of the last two decades, thanks to films like of Dog Soldiers, The Descent, and Doomsday.

So it makes sense that his latest film plays opening night at the UK’s most important genre festival. Described by Marshall as “The Dirty Half Dozen meets The Thing,” the film’s synopsis is as follows:

The Lair follows Sgt. Tom Hook as he is tasked with leading a unit to find Lt. Kate Sinclair after the Royal Air Force fighter pilot was shot down in Afghanistan. Pursued by insurgents, Sinclair has sought shelter in an abandoned bunker where she unwittingly releases the Ravagers – a half human-half alien man-made biological weapon. Hook and his team, accompanied by a handful of British SAS troops, must save Sinclair from insurgents and the Ravagers before they overrun the area and threaten the entire world.

What else is playing at FrightFest?

Neil Marshall is attending the festival to screen The Lair as well as a special 4K restoration of Dog Soldiers. Horror legend Dario Argento will also be in attendance, to present his latest giallo, Dark Glasses.

Final Cut – the French remake of FrightFest favorite One Cut of the Dead – will play over the weekend, alongside Quentin Dupieux’s time-travel fantasy Incredible But True, and Travis Stevens’ Tribeca hit A Wounded Fawn.

A little bit of Marvel will be at FrightFest, with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead – who made Moon Knight and who are currently working on Loki Season 2 – attending to play their new film Something in the Dirt.

When and where is the festival happening?

FrightFest runs from August 25-29 in London’s Leicester Square, with films screening at both the Cineworld and Prince Charles Cinema.

Of the film’s playing, festival co-director Paul McEvoy said: “We are absolutely delighted with this year’s fantastic Arrow Video FrightFest line-up. This is the wildest and most diverse selection we have ever assembled.

“The mix includes a stunning variety of the latest must-see SF, thriller, fantasy and horror titles from around the world.

“With a vast array of premiere screenings, special events and incredible guests the Cineworld Leicester Square and The Prince Charles Cinema will be the ONLY places for film lovers to be over the late August Bank Holiday weekend and we cannot wait to unleash our prime selections to our wonderful audience.”

Weekend passes are available on July 16, while day passes can be bought from July 23. For more details, and to read about all the films screening, head to the FrightFest Website. While rest assured, Dexerto will be in attendance to write about the best of the fest.