Jeremy Saulnier welcomes fall with cryptic, unsettling Slayground trailer

“A24 invites you to an experience you’ll never forget,” the teaser promises, underscored by an equally unsettling remix of Drowning Pool’s hit “Bodies.”    

The video offers little concrete information aside from a release sometime this fall. The teaser ends by directing fans to runlikehell.com, which shows alternating footage of scared people in the various settings, including a portrait room, a lab, a dungeon, and a kill chamber. The site also includes a countdown clock that ends on October 20 and a prompt to sign up for A24 marketing emails. Could October 20 be the film’s release date, or is it counting down to another trailer drop? Take your best guess.

According to World of Reel, Slayground was previously titled October. The updated title is reportedly a reference to a haunted attraction where the main character, played by Cory Michael Smith, works. In addition to Smith, the cast reportedly includes Chase Sui Wonders, Sophie Wilde, Stephen Root, Imogen Poots, Matty Matheson, and Young Mazino. The film marks Saulnier’s return to horror, having previously directed the 2015 horror-thriller Green Room. Most recently, Saulnier directed the Emmy-winning movie Rebel Ridge.