
OVER THE RIVER
AND
THROUGH THE WOODS
A young woman visits her grandmother’s house to meet grandma’s new boyfriend—who turns out to be a twenty-six year old man with questionable motives and a cryptic backstory.
TRAILER
SYNOPSIS
Diana “Dee” Wilcox is visiting the house of her widowed grandmother for the first time in twelve years. Dee plans on meeting her grandma’s new boyfriend...and is shocked to learn that he is a twenty-six year old man with a cryptic backstory. Over the course of one uncomfortable dinner-table conversation, Dee realizes that she must protect her grandmother from her strange beau...who might have ties to a mysterious cult.
Stills
OUR STORY
Over the River and Through the Woods was made with the tender love, care, and dedication that comes especially from such a guerilla cast and crew. Production lasted over the course of four days in a creepy, 19th century cottage that we found on AirBnb (which served as both our location and housing for the cast and crew). We worked hard to combine several elements that fall under the umbrella of the horror genre: our film transitions from dark comedy to psychological thriller to gross-out body horror. I believe it has the potential to unleash both uproarious laughter and, as the story unfolds, shrieks of disgust in front of a packed audience.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Director’s Statement
The genesis of this film began with a simple question: how could I make a twenty-something year old man into a horror-movie villain without the use of expensive prosthetics or special effects? My answer? If a twenty-six year old was dating my grandmother, I would immediately distrust him. Thus began the writing process during which I initially composed a three-thousand word short story, which I then adapted into a screenplay. During this process, I faced some personal tragedy: I unexpectedly lost my grandfather and my grandma was moved into an assisted living facility. As I endured this difficult life transition, I realized that this film could serve as an interesting allegory for the way caretaker roles swap; in life, children and grandchildren eventually take on caregiving roles for their respective parents and grandparents.
In the spring of 2025, we filmed Over the River and Through the Woods at a 19th century cabin in the woods with a skeleton crew and a shoestring budget. Crafted entirely by a team of dedicated, passionate, and talented twenty-somethings, I believe the quality of this film far exceeds its guerilla production level. This film combines elements of dark comedy, psychological thriller, and gross-out body horror into one singular experience that I believe will play magnificently in front of a packed, eager audience. The filming process really encapsulated the magic of low-budget filmmaking: a small group of friends working on something we are all incredibly passionate about. I believe that the excitement, dedication, and energy we all experienced on set is palpable on screen.