Tadpole

In this coming-of-age horror dark comedy, outcast VAL is tormented by everyone in her small desert town. Her only comfort is an online influencer, MONTANA, who makes IG reels about self-love and improvement. The school bully, DESTINY, and her identical twin sidekicks, CARLY and HARLEY, just live-streamed Val in the bathroom for all of social media to see. With vengeance brewing, Val is warned by PRINCIPAL BURNS that hate is never the answer. The local sheriff, SHERIFF COOPER, is dating Val’s grandma, SOFIA, a cruel woman who resents her granddaughter Val and throws her out of her motorhome. Displaced Val ends up at the quarry and unknowingly discovers a carnivorous tadpole. She forges an eerie bond with the creature and exacts revenge by feeding her tormentors to her monstrous pet. When the line between justice and horror blurs, she is forced to confront the true cost of vengeance—and the darkness within herself.

The film stars an incredibly talented and diverse cast starring David Lengel (Naked Gun, Agatha All Along, WandaVision), Norma Maldonado (The Good Doctor, Jane the Virgin), Miguel A. Núñez Jr. (Scooby-Doo, Nutty Professor II), and the most recognizable twins on social media, the Clements Twins. This project takes pride in its diversity and inclusion for filmmakers from all walks of life on screen and behind the scenes—writers, producers, actors, actresses, crew, casting, VFX—Jewish, Mexican, Black, Two Spirit Tlaxcalteca/Nahua, Asian, Puerto Rican, Indian, and more, who came together to make this a reality. We are eternally grateful to them for lending their craft to make this film. This film family represents the lifeblood of our industry’s future, and we hope we can expand on projects like this.

Directed by Ethan Lader (USA)