‘Traumatika’ Is a Horror Movie So Intense Fans Can’t Even See a Trailer

When it comes to horror movies, there are a lot of films that promise to be so scary that after viewing them you’ll never be the same again. 99.9% of the time, that’s all just marketing propaganda meant to entice viewers into the theater. There hasn’t been a truly terrifying horror movie in a long time, but all that could change thanks to Traumatika, a hidden gem that’s set to premiere in September that’s already getting rave reviews.

Like a million other horror movies before it, Traumatika touts itself as one of the scariest movies ever made. It doesn’t just stop there, however, as the new teaser for the film (seen below) boasts that the movie is so intense that fans can’t even handle a whole trailer. Instead, we’re treated to several review quotes that label the movie as “a nonstop onslaught of terror,” “violent, angry, and unafraid,” and a film that “claws at your throat.” The teaser ends by claiming Traumatika isn’t a movie you see, it’s a movie that you survive. We have to hand it to the marketing department at Saban Films, because that’s a pretty good tagline.

Directed by Pierre Tsigaridis, Traumatika stars Rebekah Kennedy (Two Witches), Emily Goss (The House on Pine Street), AJ Bowen (You’re Next), Sean O’Bryan (The Middle), and Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs), to name a few. It made its world premiere at FrightFest on August 24, 2024, with distribution rights being picked up by Saban earlier this year. Clever marketing campaign aside, its synopsis isn’t messing around by making Traumatika sound like one to look out for later this year:

“A young boy’s night terrors become reality when his mother begins showing signs of demonic possession. What he’s about to experience will haunt him for the rest of his life and claim countless lives across generations.”

Critics Are Already Raving About ‘Traumatika’

Having been seen by a handful of critics during its festival run, Traumatika already has an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its theatrical debut. That might not seem like a high score, but keep in mind films like The Exorcist and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre – movies people consider classics – have ratings of 78% and 84%, respectively, so Tsigaridis’ flick is right up there with them at the moment. Called “a movie that is both shocking and terrifying” by Nathaniel Muir, critic Jenn Adams from Strong Female Antagonist writes:

“Though blunt, Traumatika is a powerful metaphor for spiraling trauma which seems to consume everyone in its path. The film is situated firmly in abject darkness, featuring nightmarish cruelty at every turn.”

Needless to say, Traumatika appears to have all the necessary tools it needs to be a hit, including smart marketing, some buzz-worthy quotes, and strong reviews. All it needs now is to deliver on all that it promises so that word of mouth can help propel it to box office glory. You can judge for yourself if it’s really as “intense” as it claims to be when Traumatika hits theaters on September 12 from Saban Films.

Source: YouTube/Rotten Tomatoes