‘New Group’ Trailer Unleashes Cosmic Body Horror on Shudder

Conformity takes a horrifying turn in the official trailer for Shudder Original New Group, an unsettling cosmic horror movie that transforms peer pressure into grotesque body horror.

Written and directed by Yûta Shimotsu (Best Wishes to All), New Group makes its streaming debut on Shudder November 6.

The film follows high school student Ai, whose life begins to unravel when a bizarre, cult-like mentality spreads through the people around her. Those affected become increasingly mindless followers, but their strange behavior soon takes a much more disturbing turn.

Even innocent gymnastics routines transform into bizarre and deadly performances as Ai finds herself surrounded by people who no longer seem entirely human.

From Best Wishes to All Director Yûta Shimotsu

New Group marks Shimotsu’s second feature following Best Wishes to All, and the new trailer showcases the same strange blend of absurdist horror and dark comedy that made his debut so memorable.

While Best Wishes to All explored the terrifying consequences of pursuing happiness at any cost, New Group turns its attention toward conformity and the pressure to follow the crowd—taking the idea to some truly grotesque places.

The film stars Anna Yamada, Yuzu Aoki, and Pierre Taki, alongside Ren Komai, Danhi Kinoshita, Arisa Sasaki, Kano Rogers, Jun Hosoi, Ryo Matsumoto, Tomomitsu Adachi, Natsuko Sakakura, Takashi Shimizu, and Tomoya Maeno.

New Group has already made the festival rounds, screening at events including the Fantasia International Film Festival and Sitges Film Festival.

The film has also earned strong praise from critics. In his four-skull review, Daniel Kurland described Shimotsu as an “anarchic and experimental storyteller,” praising the filmmaker’s unconventional approach to universal themes.

Kurland also called New Group an unpredictable body-horror experience that doubles as a sharp satire of Japanese society.

Judging by the trailer, expect plenty of bizarre transformations, disturbing imagery, and a very strange dance with conformity when New Group arrives on Shudder.