Trauma Or Monsters All Opens in New York With a Queer Horror Story
A writer, a librarian and the monsters lurking in a small town meet in Larry Fessenden's new horror film, opening in New York on 4 November.
Larry Fessenden's new horror film Trauma Or, Monsters All opens at New York's IFC Center on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
The story brings together a visiting writer, a local librarian and a town increasingly frightened by its own history. Starring Laëtitia Hollard and Aitana Doyle, the film also offers a connection between two women within a much larger supernatural mystery.
What Is Trauma Or Monsters All About?
Cassandra arrives in the small town of Talbot Falls to research a book and takes a job at the local library, where she meets Agnes.
After Cassandra investigates the town's troubled past for a newspaper article, questions about hidden monsters begin to stir fear and suspicion. Their growing connection provides a personal thread through the escalating horror.
The film includes a vampire, a werewolf and a Frankenstein-like creation, but its story is as interested in suppressed trauma and social tensions as traditional creature-feature scares.
Recent queer entertainment coverage has highlighted Cassandra and Agnes's relationship as one reason LGBTQ+ audiences may be interested. The producers, however, describe a wider ensemble horror film rather than a conventional romance.
Who Is Behind the Film?
Fessenden directed the 118-minute production, with a cast that also includes Addison Timlin, Alex Hurt and Barbara Crampton. His company Glass Eye Pix describes the new film as drawing together characters and ideas from previous work such as Habit, Depraved and Blackout.
It continues the director's long-standing interest in using monster stories to explore recognisable human fears.
Watch the trailer:
ow to Watch Trauma Or Monsters All
Trauma Or, Monsters All begins screenings at IFC Center in New York on 4 November 2026, with the opening-night director Q&A confirmed by the venue.
That is a specific US theatrical opening, not a confirmed nationwide or UK release. No British cinema date or UK streaming platform has been established yet
