THE KILLGRIN movie poster | ©2025 Dark Sky Films

Rating: Not Rated
Stars: Konstantina Mantelos, Adam Tsekhman, Ramona Milano, Gillian Fortin, Peter MacNeill, Cristo Fernández, Fuad Ahmed, Shomari Downer, Lynne Griffin
Writer: Joanna Tsanis
Director: Joanna Tsanis
Distributor: Dark Sky Films
Release Date: April 25, 2025

THE KILLGRIN posits that depression can kill – and not just through suicide, though one occurs early on here.

Miranda (Konstantina Mantelos), who works for an airline in a big city (THE KILLGRIN was shot in Toronto), has been going home early on a regular basis to try to help boyfriend Noah (Fuad Ahmed), who has been going through a tough time. After assuring Miranda that he’s doing better, Noah leaps to his death through an open window in their townhouse.

Three weeks later, Miranda has joined a bereavement group, although she refuses to say anything. She is understandably upset and unnerved.

Miranda also believes she is being stalked by her ex, Damien (Cristo Fernández), even though she has a restraining order. Finding a rose on her doorstep, Miranda flees for the safety of the couch of her old college roommate Andie (Gillian Fontin) and Andie’s husband Tom (Shomari Downer).

Feeling that she is being followed by some sort of darkness, Miranda consults a psychic (Lynne Griffin). The psychic agrees with Miranda’s assessment and says that the darkness is known as a “killgrin,” which can completely take over its victim.

And Miranda isn’t the only one who is suffering from this …

On the one hand, writer/director Joanna Tsanis is adept at depicting a range of sorrow and alienation without miring THE KILLGRIN in the kind of slowness and opaque characterization that too often accompanies this type of subject matter.

Depression can feel like a visceral, physical presence, and Tsanis taps into something relatable with the way she handles it visually, as well as how she has her people alternately discuss it and avoid dealing with it.

The monster and its effects are also properly horrific, and Miranda’s reactions all seem reasonable.

But on the flip side, when we get an explanation of what is happening and why, it is apparent that this wasn’t fully thought out. Otherwise, why isn’t this happening everywhere, and why is it happening so rapidly to some people, while developing relatively gradually for Miranda?

Mantelos is a sympathetic focal point, taking us through Miranda’s anguish without ever making us feel she’s sulking. Adam Tsekhman provides multiple layers as a fellow bereavement group member, and Peter MacNeill strikes the right notes as the group’s leader.

THE KILLGRIN is emotionally on target and moves quickly, which for many viewers may outweigh its hazy mythology.

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