Mother of Flies: Folk Horror’s Gruesome New Arrival on AMC+ and Shudder

Horror buffs are in for a treat as a fresh indie gem is set to make waves. After a year packed with standouts like Bloody Axe Wound, Fréwaka, and The Ugly Stepsister, the much-anticipated Mother of Flies is about to hit AMC+ and Shudder. Ahead of its official release, punters can get a sneak peek at the film’s bizarre and unsettling atmosphere through an exclusive clip.

Helmed by Zelda Adams, John Adams, and Toby Poser—collectively known as the Adams Family—this latest offering continues their knack for delivering offbeat folk horror. Their previous works, including Hellbender, Hell Hole, and Where the Devil Roams, have already earned them a loyal following. The new preview from Mother of Flies is a testament to their talent, blending graphic visuals with a tense, unnerving mood.

Unsettling Imagery and Raw Emotion

The exclusive scene opens with a close-up of tattooed hands, while agonised cries echo in the background. The camera then cuts to a bloke retching up blood and what appears to be half-digested meat. A string of snot hangs from his nose, making it clear he’s suffering both physically and mentally. The vomiting drags on, pushing the audience’s comfort to its limits. Just as it becomes almost too much to watch, the focus shifts to the man staring at a grotesque, decaying body, which returns his gaze with chilling indifference. The whole sequence lasts just over a minute, but it sets the tone for what’s to come in the rest of the film.

For those keen on folk horror, this is shaping up to be a standout. The film’s synopsis sets the stage:

"Mother of Flies follows Mickey (Zelda Adams), a young woman facing a deadly diagnosis who heads into the woods with her father (John Adams) seeking dark magic at the hands of a mysterious recluse named Solveig (Toby Poser). For three days, Mickey endures Solveig's extreme rituals of death magic. But every cure has its cost, and every curse is another's gift. As buried secrets claw their way to the surface, the veil between the living and the dead begins to unravel, and Mickey finds herself facing dark truths that only the dead and the dying can know."

Personal Stories and Critical Acclaim

Mother of Flies made its world debut at the Fantasia International Film Festival last year, and early reviews have been glowing. With a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics have called it everything from "a creepily fun watch" to a film "full of stunning imagery." The project is deeply personal for the Adams Family, who used it as a way to explore their own experiences. They shared,

"The human body has a habit of dying — too soon, too late, often painfully. Horrors of the body, like cancer, are real; are human horror. As a family whose personal narratives serve as fuel for our imaginations, it was only a matter of time when we faced our stark history — pretty much every family’s history — with cancer. Mother of Flies offered us a creative avenue to reclaim these dark stories, these very personal, ugly truths, and to transform them into something viscerally new, resurgent, alive — and yet, inevitably, still brutal."

For those who like their horror with a bit of depth, knowing the backstory adds another layer to Mickey’s journey. The film’s cast features John Adams as Jake and Lulu Adams as Mickey, with a runtime of 92 minutes. It’s set to premiere on January 23, 2026, and promises to leave a lasting impression on anyone game enough to watch.