Horror and romance don’t necessarily go together. Like water and oil, the two genres seem to repel each other, unable to really mesh together in a way that makes sense. Even if a couple manages to get together and live happily ever after, they’re often just moments away from getting slashed to bits or thrown out a bay window by an unruly spirit. It’s difficult to pull off, but should it be done well, it results in a genuinely compelling story that takes the best from both respective genres. Danish filmmaker Gabriel Bier Gislason aims to do just that and make an effective horror romance in his upcoming Shudder-exclusive film, Attachment.

Taking an unconventional approach to both romance and horror, Gislason explained in an interview with Cineuropa that his film takes notable inspiration from Jewish folklore. It’s an interesting approach, especially considering that the film’s horror elements will be in service of its love story, instead of vice versa. Seeing as how Shudder’s previous investments in non-traditional horror have paid off tremendously, the most recent example being the financial-hit Skinamarink, we’re anxious to see what Attachment holds in store for horror fans.

This is everything we know about Shudder’s Attachment.

Attachment: The Plot

The official plot synopsis of Attachment provided by Shudder is as follows.

“ATTACHMENT is a horror romance about Maja, a has-been actress in Denmark, who falls in love with Leah, a young, Jewish academic visiting from the UK. When Leah suffers a mysterious seizure, Maja fears their whirlwind romance might be cut short and decides to follow Leah back to her home in London. There, Maja meets her new downstairs neighbour: Leah’s mother, Chana. An overbearing, seemingly religious and highly secretive woman, Chana seems resistant to all of Maja’s attempts to win her over. And as Maja notices strange occurrences in the building, she begins to suspect that Chana’s secrets could be much darker than first anticipated.”

If you omitted the last sentence, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Attachment was a more traditional romance story. Adding horror elements to the setup allows Attachment to hopefully stand out from a slew of generic love stories, putting not just the relationship between Leah and Maja at risk, but possibly their lives on top of it. A potential downside of this, however, is that the cast will have to pull double-duty in being compelling characters across two distinct, emotionally-charged genres. From the brief glimpses we see of Maja, Leah, and Chana in the trailer, we thankfully have a good first impression of their full performances.

An interesting scene from the trailer involves Maja visiting a rabbi named Lev in order to gain some insight into “how to do Jewish stuff.” Maja is the perfect insert for an audience that may not necessarily be aware of the horror elements in folklore, as superstitions in Jewish culture aren’t nearly as commonly recognized as those from, say, Christianity. It also gives us a glimpse into the film’s sense of humor, as the interaction results in an awkward exchange between the two.

If you’re expecting a funhouse of scares, you may want to look elsewhere. Attachment looks to be taking a more subtle approach to its terror, utilizing a heavy emphasis on Jewish folklore and the entities contained within it. However, if you want a genuinely compelling horror film with characters you actually want to see survive, Attachment should be on your radar.

Attachment: The Cast

     Shudder

The lead roles of Maja and Leah will be played by Josephine Park and Ellie Kendrick, respectively. Park, being a Danish actor, may be unfamiliar to those who don’t watch Danish productions. Nonetheless, she’s had a prolific career across a variety of television shows, ranging from the raunchy Doggystyle to the grim thriller series Darkness: Those Who Kill. She’s played a wide range of characters in her previous roles, which will hopefully result in a compelling performance in Attachment. Kendrick, conversely, will likely be recognized by fans of Games of Thrones as Meera Reed or Taelia Fordragon from the World of Warcraft series.

Additional cast members include David Dencik, who previously appeared in HBO’s Chernobyl and No Time to Die, and Sofie Gråbøl, who appeared in Lars van Trier’s The House That Jack Built and Prime Video’s Fortitude, as well as narrating the Danish dub of March of the Penguins. Gråbøl will be playing the role of Leah’s mother, Chana, while Dencik will be playing the rabbi Lev. Katrine Jensenius, Lado Hadzic, Hana Shuan, Sevik Perl, Elinor Znaider, and Filippa Marcella Olesen Olsson will also be playing minor roles in Attachment.

Release Date

Attachment will premiere exclusively on Shudder on February 9.

Everything Else We Know

Attachment will mark director Gabriel Bier Gislason’s feature-film debut. Should Attachment do well, we may see an uptick in love stories with horror themes hitting the streaming market.

Attachment will feature both Danish and English performances, particularly from Maja and Chana.