Blake Ridder returns to the screen with his latest feature, Manor of Darkness, a gripping blend of supernatural thriller and time‑loop horror. The film is set to make its U.S. digital debut on December 9, 2025, marking a new milestone for Ridder as both writer and director. Produced by Ridder Films in collaboration with Lucas A. Ferrara, the project showcases Ridder’s signature approach to atmospheric tension, intimate character work, and genre‑driven storytelling. Distributed by Indie Rights, Manor of Darkness will be available across major digital and streaming platforms, offering audiences a chilling descent into a world where reality resets and terror repeats.
Building on Ridder’s reputation for intimate, character‑driven genre work, Manor of Darkness brings together a focused creative team committed to crafting a tense, atmospheric experience. Written and directed by Ridder himself, the film reflects his ongoing fascination with psychological pressure, moral ambiguity, and the ways in which confined spaces can heighten both fear and emotion. As Ridder explains, the film’s looping structure was born from a desire to explore how people confront their own patterns under pressure. “I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that we repeat the same emotional cycles without realizing it,” Ridder says. “A time loop felt like the perfect cinematic way to externalize that—forcing characters to face the consequences of their choices again and again until something finally breaks. This film is as much about human behavior as it is about supernatural terror.”
Producer Lucas A. Ferrara echoes that sentiment, emphasizing the collaborative spirit behind the project. “What drew me to this story was its blend of genre thrills and emotional truth,” Ferrara notes. “Blake has a rare ability to take a high‑concept idea and ground it in real human stakes. Watching this cast bring that vision to life inside such an atmospheric location was extraordinary. Audiences are in for something truly unique.”
The story centers on Laura, played by Kim Lysette Spearman, whose life has been consumed by the emotional strain of caring for her terminally ill mother. Exhausted, isolated, and desperate for a way out, she reluctantly reconnects with her estranged brother Chris (Louis James). Chris arrives with a plan: a high‑stakes heist inside a remote English manor rumored to contain a valuable artifact. Alongside him is Lisa (Sarah Alexandra Marks), Chris’s girlfriend, who joins the operation in hopes of helping the siblings pull off one final job. Completing the core team is Andy, portrayed by Rui Shang, a seasoned professional thief whose precision, discipline, and cool‑headed approach make him indispensable to the mission.
What begins as a calculated break‑in quickly unravels when the crew finds themselves trapped in a looping nightmare that forces them to relive the same harrowing events. As the cycle repeats, tensions rise, loyalties fracture, and the emotional wounds between Laura and Chris deepen, revealing long‑buried resentments and unresolved grief. Andy’s methodical nature becomes both a stabilizing force and a stark reminder of how even the most carefully orchestrated plans can collapse under supernatural pressure.
Ridder surrounds his leads with a tightly knit ensemble cast. Stuart Wolfe‑Murray, as the owner of the manor, delivers a layered performance as Lucas, a figure whose decisions carry increasingly dire consequences as the loop resets. Together, the cast creates a claustrophobic dynamic that amplifies the film’s psychological stakes.
Manor of Darkness used its stately setting as both a physical and emotional trap. The production leans heavily on practical lighting, shadow‑driven tension, and the disorientation of repetition to build an atmosphere that is both intimate and unsettling. The result is a film that feels simultaneously expansive in its supernatural implications and tightly contained in its human conflicts.
With its December 9, 2025 digital release through Indie Rights, Manor of Darkness invites audiences into a world where time fractures, fear compounds, and every choice echoes into the next reset. It stands as a testament to Ridder’s ability to merge genre thrills with character‑centered storytelling, offering a haunting experience that lingers long after the loop ends.
Watch as every choice resets …. But the terror doesn’t.
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