Trailer for the Horror Film MOTHER OF FLIES Teases a Haunting Folk Horror Descent
Shudder is kicking 2026 off with something truly unsettling. The streamer has revealed the first trailer for John Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu Adams, and Zelda Adams’ latest nightmare, Mother of Flies.
If you follow indie horror, you already know this filmmaking family delivers some of the most atmospheric and handmade genre stories out there, and this new one appears to be their darkest fairy tale yet.
The Adams Family continues to operate as a complete creative unit. They write, direct, edit, and star in their own movies, and their band H6LLB6ND6R scores them with eerie precision.
Mother of Flies brings the whole crew back together, joined by Noble Wilson Eiden and Jessica Beveridge, in what looks like a stripped down and emotionally heavy supernatural tale.
In the film, Mickey, played by Zelda, refuses to accept a deadly diagnosis. Desperate for a way out, she heads deep into the woods with her father, played by John Adams, searching for forces beyond the natural world.
There she meets Solveig, portrayed by Toby, a recluse whose connection to death runs unnervingly deep. The official synopsis reads:
“Mickey faces a deadly diagnosis, but she isn’t ready to die yet. Heading into the woods with her father (John Adams), she seeks dark magic at the hands of mysterious recluse, Solveig, who has an intimate relationship with death and roots that go deep in the land.
“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.”
The filmmakers have been carving out their own lane since launching Wonder Wheel Productions in 2010, turning out indie standouts like Rumblestrips, Knuckle Jack, The Deeper You Dig, and Where the Devil Roams.
Mother of Flies marks their eighth feature together and it is already earning serious recognition. The film took home the Cheval Noir Award for Best Film at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, making history as the first American production to claim the honor.
Mother of Flies arrives on Shudder on January 23, 2026, and it looks like an early contender for one of next year’s standout horror experiences.