Diabolical

Jessica grew up watching her mother suffer from sudden, baffling psychological breakdowns that left the household tense and uncertain. Years later Jessica starts noticing the same eerie symptoms returning in her own life, strange episodes that don't line up with medical explanations. As she tracks patterns in family history and the unsettling coincidences around her, she becomes convinced the source may be something malicious rather than purely mental. People close to her react with concern or skepticism, and she must weigh what to tell clinicians, friends, or family. The film follows Jessica as she pieces together clues, questions memory and trust, and weighs whether to accept clinical answers or confront a darker possibility. The mood stays intimate and quietly tense.

Diabolical was released in 2025, directed by Tristan van Doorn, and led by Caroline Lichtenberg, Elske Stout, Paul Schaareman, Alexandra van Lier and Sam Post. It premiered to genre audiences internationally and highlighted its cast's performances and drew genre attention.

The film had a limited theatrical run and appeared at genre festival screenings, with distribution focused on select markets. Wide box office totals weren't widely reported, so commercial impact remains modest and hard to quantify. Later it saw VOD release.

Among horror fans Diabolical sparked discussion about whether its scares come from inherited trauma or supernatural agency, with viewers praising its unsettling imagery and tight sound design. Social media and genre forums debated its ambiguous ending, and conversations touched on mental health representation. It inspired analysis on mental health portrayal.

Early audience scores sit at 7.0 out of 10 from a small number of votes, suggesting a mixed to positive response. Some viewers singled out Caroline Lichtenberg's central performance, highlighting themes of inheritance, the line between illness and evil, unreliable memory, and claustrophobic family dynamics. Viewers noted its oppressive pacing.