Blue Hour: The Disappearance of Nick Brandreth
A found footage horror drama about a documentarian seeking her father.
Blue Hour: The Disappearance of Nick Brandreth is a 2023 American found footage horror drama directed and written by Dan Bowhers. The cast includes Morgan DeTogne, Michael Kowalski, Mike Headford, Nick Brandreth, and Josh Olkowski. The story follows a documentarian who, more than twenty years after her father vanished in 1997, tries to uncover what happened by questioning her family and law enforcement. Bowhers has stated that the film is inspired by a real person named Nick Brandreth, who was never actually missing; Brandreth is a photographic historian, and all the family photographs appearing in the movie are genuine. The film had its premiere at Panic Fest on April 19, 2023, and was released on August 1, 2023. Critical reception was mixed: Bobby LePire of Film Threat gave it an 8 out of 10, while Mary Beth McAndrews at Dread Central, Stephanie Malone at Morbidly Beautiful, and Dani Shembeth at Slay Away each rated it 3 out of 5. Katelyn Nelson at Daily Grindhouse noted that the performances could be stiff at times but praised the film’s originality and atmosphere. Louisa Moore at Screen Zealots found the movie interesting but felt its runtime was too long.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Dan Bowhers
- Producer
- Dan Bowhers / Nick Brandreth / Mike Headford
- Starring
- Morgan DeTogne / Michael Kowalski / Mike Headford / Nick Brandreth / Josh Olkowski
- Cinematography
- Nick Brandreth / Mike Headford
- Editing
- Mike Headford
- Distributor
- Glass House Distribution
- Released
- 19 April 2023 · Panic Film Festival · 2023 · 08 · 01 · VOD
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film follows a documentarian who, two and a half decades after her father disappeared in 1997, seeks the truth from her family and law enforcement. Dan Bowhers wrote and directed the film, which stars Morgan DeTogne, Michael Kowalski, Mike Headford, Nick Brandreth and Josh Olkowski. Bowhers stated that the story is based around a real person named Nick Brandreth, who was never missing; Brandreth is a photographic historian, and all the family photos in the film are real.
Reader's Guide
Blue Hour: The Disappearance of Nick Brandreth is notable for its use of found footage and its basis on a real person who was not actually missing. The film received mixed to positive reviews: Bobby LePire at Film Threat scored it 8 out of 10, while Mary Beth McAndrews at Dread Central, Stephanie Malone at Morbidly Beautiful and Dani Shembeth at Slay Away all scored it 3 out of 5. Katelyn Nelson at Daily Grindhouse noted that the performances were stiff at times but praised the film's originality and atmosphere. Louisa Moore at Screen Zealots found the film interesting but criticized its runtime. The film's significance lies in its blending of horror and drama with real family photographs, creating a unique narrative about memory and loss.
Did You Know?
- Nick Brandreth is a photographic historian, and all family photos in the film are real.
- The film premiered at Panic Fest on April 19, 2023.
- The film was released on August 1, 2023.
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