David Torrone | 2025 | Poland | 1h27m | Polish language with English subtitles
David Torrone’s DEAD BY DAWN situates itself within the long lineage of European genre filmmaking that treats horror as a reflection of social unease rather than pure spectacle. Set across a single relentless night, the film follows a group of strangers trapped in a rural landscape where fear emerges gradually through atmosphere, suspicion and fractured memory.
Rather than relying on conventional shocks, Torrone builds tension through pacing and spatial uncertainty, recalling the psychological dread of films like THE DESCENT or THE NIGHT HOUSE while grounding its narrative in contemporary anxieties. The result is a work that feels rooted in regional tradition yet attuned to modern cinematic language.
Produced outside major studio systems and shaped by a tightly controlled visual aesthetic, DEAD BY DAWN demonstrates how independent genre cinema continues to innovate through limitation. It reflects the persistence of local storytelling traditions in Eastern Europe within a globalised horror market.
For audiences interested in how contemporary European filmmakers are rethinking the mechanics of fear, this screening offers an opportunity to encounter a film that privileges mood and character over spectacle. Its impact lies in the way it sustains unease long after the narrative resolves.
Location: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi. A five minute walk from Liberty Square metro.
How to find FOMO: Enter the Bazari via Atoneli St above Carrefour and take the stairs on your left as soon as you enter next to the karaoke booth. FOMO is one flight up. Video instructions here: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17933106294029235
T&Cs: Guests must enter the Bazari by 23:00 to gain access to the FOMO Cinema Lounge Bar. If the Atoneli St entrance is locked you can get in via the side entrance on Sulkhanishvil St between 21:00 and 23:00. We close at 02:00 each evening. No refunds are issued unless we cancel the screening ourselves.
FOMO Secret Cinema • Bazari Orbeliani, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia