'Don’t Let Them Out' Turns Desert Isolation into a Psychological Nightmare

The award-winning indie horror-thriller from writer-director Lila McLaughlin arrives on Amazon and Fandango September 22 through Buffalo 8 Distribution.

MoreHorror.com

There’s something inherently wrong about an abandoned property in the middle of nowhere.

Too much silence. Too much history. Too many places for old secrets to wait.

That's what sits at the center of Don’t Let Them Out, an independently produced psychological horror-thriller written and directed by Lila McLaughlin.

Following a limited theatrical run through September, the film arrives on Amazon and Fandango on September 22 through Buffalo 8 Distribution.

The story follows a struggling woman who travels to an inherited family property with one very practical goal: sell the place and use the money to escape her mounting debts.

The property has other plans.

Once she arrives, she begins uncovering sinister family secrets and finds herself pulled into a terrifying scavenger hunt where each discovery drags her deeper into paranoia, psychological terror and an increasingly inescapable nightmare.

Don’t Let Them Out leans heavily into slow-burn dread, isolation, liminal spaces and generational trauma, using the desert property itself as part of the film’s psychological pressure cooker. What begins as a possible financial lifeline gradually transforms into something claustrophobic, despite all that open space around it.

The film has also built a reputation for getting inside viewers’ heads. Theater audiences have reportedly described it as a “mindfuck” and warned that “it’ll mess with your head,” while also praising its jump scares, twists and unpredictable story.

McLaughlin says that psychological unease drove the film from the beginning.

“It’s essentially been called a ‘mindfuck.’ I wanted to make the kind of psychological horror-thriller that finds its scares in the relatable anxieties and fears many of us share, building genuine suspense and jolting moments that make you look over your shoulder, long after the film ends.”

The movie stars Bonnie Root, whose credits include Cruel Hearts, No Way to Live and Cold Case; Louis Ferreira of House of David, Shōgun and Breaking Bad; and Emily Rios, known for Breaking Bad, Snowfall and If Beale Street Could Talk.

Behind the camera, McLaughlin assembled an impressive post-production team as well. Editor Eric Strand previously worked on Donnie Darko, while senior colorist Henry Santos and DigitalFilm Tree bring credits that include Where the Wild Things Are, Napoleon Dynamite and Her. Robert Reider handled sound design, with credits including Isla Monstro and Gaslighter, while Alec Puro composed the score following work on projects including American Horror Story, Black Summer and Spin the Bottle.

The indie horror-thriller has already picked up three Best Feature awards from festival appearances including Arizona International Film Festival, LA Femme International Film Festival and Dark Matter Film Festival.

Don’t Let Them Out continues its limited theatrical run through September before arriving on Amazon and Fandango September 22 through Buffalo 8 Distribution.

Follow the film on Instagram at @dontletthemoutfilm and visit DontLetThemOut.com for more information.

Written and Directed by: Lila McLaughlin

Starring: Bonnie Root, Louis Ferreira, Emily Rios

Release Date: September 22, 2026

Distribution: Buffalo 8 Distribution