In Fabric Trailer Unspools A High-Fashion Nightmare

Being dressed to kill is so last year. Now, it's all about killer dresses. 

On Wednesday, A24 unspooled the first trailer for In Fabric, a twisted horror film about a cherry-red dress with sentience and sinister motivations. If it sounds bizarre, that's because it is — and its weirdness is kind of the whole point.  

Homecoming and Broadchurch actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste leads In Fabric as Sheila, a divorcee who has her eye on a striking garment in a London department store. The odd shopkeeper convinces Sheila to purchase the dress for her upcoming date — teasing that her life will change for the better as soon as the fabric hits her skin. The strange woman was right: the dress is life-altering... just not in the way Sheila hoped it would be. 

It's soon revealed that the dress is the vehicle for a terrible curse — one that spreads a rash across Sheila's chest and causes her washing machine to violently rumble and sputter, among other awful things. Throughout the trailer, we catch glimpses of the dress floating in mid-air, flying on its own, and magically restoring itself after it's been ripped to shreds. There's something seriously wrong with the dress, and Sheila will do whatever it takes to destroy it. 

As far as horror movies are concerned, In Fabric looks innovative, off-kilter, and pretty promising. The film carries the distinct visual style of director Peter Strickland, gives nod to horror classics of yesteryear, and hails from studio A24 — so it's basically guaranteed that In Fabric is going to be a bold offering to shake up the box office. 

Also starring Hayley Squires, Gwendoline Christie, Leo Bill, and more, In Fabric has yet to receive an official debut date.