THE EXIT STATE

Who do you trust?

Set in a United States spiraling toward authoritarian collapse, The Exit State follows a group of Americans fleeing south toward Mexico.

The group takes refuge in what they believe is a safe house in neutral political territory, but they quickly discover that the shelter is anything but safe, and that escape will come at a terrifying cost.

Amongst the escapees is Zoey, a young journalist who carries sensitive footage of U.S. officials. Unsure of who she can trust, she arouses suspicions of the entire group, including the wealthy hosts, brother and sister duo Vince and Claire.

Run time
93 minutes
Country
USA
Genre
Political horror thriller
Status
World premiere, Screamfest 2026
Directed by
Gabriela Ledesma
Written by
Callie Schuttera, Josh George & Gabriela Ledesma
Shot in
Malibu & Santa Clarita, CA
Production
Poison Pictures
An RV winds along a mountain highway toward the border
Somewhere south of Santa Clarita. The road out.

“A spectrum of responses to collapse, ranging from denial and opportunism to complicity and survival.”

360 Magazine

“Rather than leaning on speculative sci-fi tropes, The Exit State grounds its horror in modern fears and realities.”

Outloud! Culture

“A formidable new production team to keep your eye on.”

Film Threat, on Poison Pictures
Claire and Vince, bruised, stand outside the terracotta house with coffee

From the Director

“The Exit State began to feel less like an exaggeration and more like an observation.”

The film was born out of an unsettling moment, one where a political future many of us feared began to arrive in the United States. When writing the script, Callie, Josh and I believed our story was a cautionary tale of a worst-case scenario. But as we prepared to shoot, just a few months later, the film's premise already felt uncomfortably current. The three of us agreed: the time for veiled metaphor was over.

But we also wanted to make a horror movie, one that was tense, fun, and kept you guessing. A group of people trapped together, shifting suspicions, uneasy alliances, and the creeping realization that the danger may already be inside the room.

Oppressive systems aren't sustained by cruelty alone. Often, indifference does just as much of the work. And to me, that's truly terrifying.

Gabriela LedesmaDirector