Neil LaBute premieres indie thriller Murderous at Oldenburg
Neil LaBute has premiered his new feature Murderous at the Oldenburg International Film Festival. The director-screenwriter introduced the 1 hour 47 minute film at its world premiere, the first public screening, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The cast is led by Gia Crovatin, Thomas Sadoski and Jordan Baker. Crovatin plays Marian, a filmmaker and up-and-coming screenwriter. Sadoski plays Norman. Baker plays Lila.
The story begins with an unwanted visitor. Marian, trying to build her writing career, gets an unexpected visit from an ex, a setup outlined when The Hollywood Reporter shared an exclusive first clip on 14 September. The film stays close to those three characters as old history resurfaces.
LaBute describes Murderous as a dark comedy thriller that evokes early Hitchcock. That description comes from a joint conversation with Crovatin published by The Hollywood Reporter on 18 September. The same piece frames it as a return to his low-budget, independent roots. In industry terms, that means a small-scale production made outside the major studio system, with limited resources and a tight shoot.
Oldenburg programmed the film as a 2026 title from the USA. Its listing places Murderous in the Independent section and notes it screens in original version, meaning English dialogue with no dubbing, according to Filmfest Oldenburg. The festival site also identifies Crovatin as the lead actress.
The premiere was part of a wider celebration of LaBute at the festival. He was scheduled to attend Oldenburg from 16 to 20 September to present the world premiere. He was also set to receive a career honour from the festival, an award first reported by The Hollywood Reporter in August.
Coverage of the film has arrived in stages. First came the exclusive clip. Then came the discussion with LaBute and Crovatin about the making of the film. Then came the review, published on 19 September.
What makes this stand out for festival audiences is the simplicity of the package. A compact runtime. Three central performances. A filmmaker known for larger credits working small again, and presenting the result in person.
