‘Sick’ – Coming-of-Age Horror Finds a Home Ahead of Fantastic Fest Premiere

Fantastic Fest is getting ready to kick off, and one of this year’s premieres has already found a home.

Sick, the unsettling coming-of-age horror from first-time feature filmmaker Agata Trzebuchowska (Ida), has been acquired by Pluto Film ahead of its world premiere at the festival. The deal also comes with the release of the film’s first teaser.

Set during a sweltering summer in the Polish countryside, Sick follows 16-year-old Maks (Konrad Kąkol) and his older sister Emma (Katarzyna Łubik), who are sent away to care for their ailing grandmother.

What begins as an isolated summer vacation slowly takes a disturbing turn as the siblings’ relationship changes. With the oppressive heat closing in and boundaries between them beginning to blur, their grandmother’s increasingly unsettling presence adds another layer of unease.

The film is being described as less a traditional coming-of-age story and more a horror story about growing up, exploring adolescence, desire, family dependence, and the frightening uncertainty that comes with entering adulthood.

Producer Patryk Sielecki said the team was particularly excited to work with Pluto Film after feeling the distributor understood both the provocative nature of Sick and the emotional story underneath its horror elements.

The film will make its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, followed by its European premiere at Sitges.

Pluto Film Managing Director Daniela Cölle praised Trzebuchowska’s debut, describing Sick as an atmospheric psychological horror film that turns the seemingly peaceful setting of summer into something increasingly disturbing.

The distributor also believes the film could reach audiences beyond the traditional genre crowd thanks to its focus on isolation, family relationships, blurred boundaries, and the uncomfortable transition from childhood to adulthood.

With its Fantastic Fest premiere just around the corner, Sick looks like one to keep on the radar.