Vicious is a 2025 American horror film written, produced and directed by Bryan Bertino. It stars Dakota Fanning, Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, and Devyn Nekoda.
It had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 19, 2025, before being released simultaneously on Paramount+ and on digital video on demand on October 10, 2025.
Contents
Plot
Polly is a directionless woman in her 30s who is stuck in a dead-end job and fretting over starting at school again. She lives alone in a house she rents from her sister Lainie whose daughter, Aly, Polly dotes over. As Polly prepares for an important interview, she is visited by an elderly woman. The woman gifts her a small wooden box and hourglass and claims that Polly is going to die that night. Unnerved, Polly escorts the woman out of her house and throws away the box. A malevolent entity impersonating her mother tells Polly that she will die unless she gives the box, which has reappeared in her house, something she hates, something she needs and something she loves. Polly attempts to get help from her neighbor across the street, asking her to call the police. The entity possesses the neighbor, forcing the neighbor to stab herself to death in retaliation for Polly telling others of the box.
