Alex Goyette and Shudder set to bring fresh screenplay to cinemas in disturbing flick
Horror films are getting the limelight again thanks to directors with vision. Alex Goyette takes the lead with Breeder, which is set for an October theatrical release before heading to Shudder. With fans of the genre online reacting positively to the news, critics are also getting on board with its fresh, albeit unsettling, plot.
“We’re not a cult, I swear,” Ainsley, the daughter of antagonist Patti, says — one striking bit of dialogue that sets the tone for what you’re about to watch. At the Tribeca Film Festival, Breeder was described as “WTF-worthy as it is entertaining” and “an unpredictable horror ride”. Hopefully, Goyette’s latest effort will help greenlight more original filmmaking as we head into 2027.
Breeder: The Plot
The film follows Russell, played by Daniel Doheny, a researcher focused on gene editing who attracts the attention of wealthy, yet eccentric dog breeder Patti (Dot-Marie Jones), a woman with a history of winning pedigree competitions. Desperate to secure funding for his project, Russell is offered financial backing by the canine specialist under one deeply disturbing condition: he must father a child with her daughter. Following a career centred around selective breeding, Patti, it seems, has now turned her attention to the alarming prospect of human breeding.
What You Need To Know
- Title: Breeder
- Genre: Horror / Thriller
- Director: Alex Goyette
- Lead: Daniel Doheny
- Co-stars: Dot-Marie Jones, Maddie Phillips
- Premise: Genetic research, coercion and human breeding
- Setting: Isolated ranch
- Themes: Eugenics, exploitation, scientific ethics
- Festival debut: Tribeca 2026
- Distributor: IFC / Shudder
- Reaction: Breeder has received mostly positive festival reviews, with praise for its atmosphere and performances
- Comparison: Barbarian / Misery / Fresh
The Cast
The main cast consists of Daniel Doheny, known for his role in Alex Strangelove, Dot-Marie Jones, who viewers will know from the cult classic series Glee and, more recently, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Fans will also know Maddie Phillips, who plays Ainsley, from Gen V and Teenage Bounty Hunters. Supporting cast members include:
- Tanaya Beatty (Role TBA)
- Carmen Moore (Angela)
- Paige McGarvin (Cosette)
- Lillian Doucet-Roche (Yara)
- Rochelle Greenwood (Cindy)
- Charlotte Kavanagh (Celeste)
- Jen Araki-Playfair (Scientist)
- John Murphy (Officer Morgan)
- Isla Spencer (Manon)
- Guy Christie (Interviewer)
- Tegan Bradlee Arychuk (Ainsley)
Release Date
Breeder will be released theatrically by Independent Film Company on 16 October 2026 before a scheduled exclusive run on Shudder.
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