On April 22, join We Really Like Her! for the exclusive Toronto premiere of Bystanders, the directorial debut of Dread Central’s Editor-in-Chief Mary Beth McAndrews.
A frat party in the woods turns into a nightmare when Abby (Brandi Botkin) and her two friends are drugged, sexually assaulted, and hunted for sport by a group of privileged teen boys. As Abby escapes and finds her way back to the main road, a mysterious couple stops to help. After hearing about Abby’s ordeal, the couple decides to take matters into their own hands (with gloriously gruesome results).
Winner of Best Horror Feature at the 2024 Nightmares Film Festival, Bystanders is a fiercely feminist, cathartic collaboration between McAndrews and screenwriter Jamie Alvey (who also co-stars). With shades of Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge, it is further proof that we need more women writing and directing rape-revenge stories.
CONTENT WARNING: Please be advised that this film deals with sexual assault and may be upsetting to some audience members.