Ask anyone in England what the most haunted house in the country is, and you’ll probably get the same answer: Borley Rectory – a place drenched in shadows, secrets, and corpses that never stayed buried.
Borley Rectory: The Awakening is a brand-new supernatural thriller based on the true events that gave the infamous house its horrifying reputation. Directed by Steven M. Smith, the film is set to release digitally in the US on October 7, followed by a UK DVD and digital release on October 13.
Set in 1900, the film follows Reverend Henry Bull and his sister Kitty, who return to the family estate to take on household duties—but quickly discover that something inside Borley Rectory isn’t resting easy. It starts small. Whispers. Shadows. Things barely seen out of the corner of the eye. But it doesn’t stay quiet for long.
As the supernatural disturbances grow more aggressive, Henry and Kitty realize that their mother and sisters are in danger—not just from ghosts, but from something darker. Something demonic. To stop what’s coming, they’re forced to call on a family friend to help them uncover the horrific truth behind the house’s haunted legacy.
What follows is a slow descent into spiritual madness, where every new revelation is worse than the last—and the walls of the rectory begin to close in. Because Borley doesn’t haunt. It possesses.
The film brings together an impressive cast, fronted by Julian Glover, best known for roles in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Empire Strikes Back, and For Your Eyes Only. Glover brings the same gravitas and slow-burn tension he’s built his legacy on—and he’s not alone.
Patsy Kensit (Lethal Weapon 2, Absolute Beginners) adds a dose of icy elegance, while Mark Wingett (Quadrophenia, The Bill), Vicki Michelle (’Allo ’Allo), Helen Lederer (Absolutely Fabulous), and Simon Phillips (The Witcher) add genre weight to the story. Rising talents Jess Inchbald, Corneille Dion Williams, Charlotte Luxford, Jenna Wilson, and Lora Hristova round out the ensemble with performances that hold their own against the atmosphere.
Directed by Steven M. Smith, whose previous credits include The Ghosts of Borley Rectory and Sweeney Todd: Slice & Dice, the film reteams him with writer Christopher Jolley for what’s promised to be the darkest, most unsettling iteration of the Borley myth to date.
This isn’t just another haunted house flick—this is a film rooted in real folklore, real fear, and an actual address people are still afraid of.
Watch the trailer and brace yourself for the awakening.
Because Borley Rectory isn’t just haunted—it’s the house where evil was born.
Borley Rectory: The Awakening will be available digitally in the US beginning October 7, with a UK digital and DVD release arriving October 13—just in time to make you think twice about every cold breeze and creaking floorboard before Halloween hits.
