Glee star Chris Colfer’s twisted new horror film
Chris Colfer and Alice Krige star in The Restoration at Grayson Manor, a Gothic horror comedy about a gay heir, experimental prosthetics and a controlling mother.
A gay heir, experimental prosthetic hands and a mother determined to control his future are at the centre of The Restoration at Grayson Manor, a twisted horror comedy starring Glee actor Chris Colfer.
Colfer plays Boyd Grayson, a wealthy man whose mother, Jacqueline, is obsessed with preserving the family legacy. Boyd enjoys bringing men home to the family estate, deliberately provoking Jacqueline with the knowledge that he has no intention of giving her the grandchildren she wants.
Their already strained relationship takes a disturbing turn after an accident leaves Boyd without his hands and dependent on his mother’s care. Jacqueline sees an opportunity to reshape her son into the heir she believes he should be, arranging for him to receive experimental prosthetic hands connected directly to his subconscious.
But the treatment has unexpected consequences, as Boyd’s buried impulses begin to find violent expression. What follows is a grotesque battle over identity, control and the right to live outside conventional expectations.
Chris Colfer enters a very different world
Colfer became internationally known for playing Kurt Hummel in Glee, whose story included navigating life as a gay teenager. In The Restoration at Grayson Manor, he takes on a much darker role, with sexuality and family expectations woven into a horror story that pushes its characters to extremes.
Boyd refuses to become the conventional heir his mother wants. Jacqueline, played by Alice Krige, is determined to maintain control over both her son and the family name, turning his recovery into an opportunity to impose her own vision of his future.
The film uses that conflict as the starting point for its unsettling premise. The experimental prosthetics are not simply a medical intervention: they become part of a story about bodily autonomy, repression and the danger of trying to force someone into a role they never wanted.
Gothic horror meets dark comedy
Written and directed by Glenn McQuaid, with Clay McLeod Chapman as co-writer, the film mixes Gothic horror, body horror and dark comedy. Its elaborate family estate provides the setting for a story in which the pursuit of respectability gives way to increasingly disturbing events.
The supporting cast includes Daniel Adegboyega, Declan Reynolds and Gabriela Garcia Vargas. The film was shot at Stradbally Hall in County Laois, the historic Irish estate also known as the home of the Electric Picnic festival.
Its combination of macabre humour and a distinctly gay perspective makes it an unusual addition to LGBTQ+ cinema, using an exaggerated horror premise to explore the pressures placed on people who refuse to meet family expectations.
When can you watch The Restoration at Grayson Manor?
The Restoration at Grayson Manor is scheduled to open in Irish cinemas on Friday 6 November 2026. The official UK and Ireland trailer has been released, although the distributor’s detailed release announcement specifically confirms the Irish cinema date, so UK screening details should be checked locally.
