Richard Oakes and Adam Leader Bring Fresh Fear to the Table with Indie Horror ‘Hosts’

By Emily Finch in News September 14, 2020

As we descend into autumn, we can all agree that 2020 has not exactly gone according to plan. However, this did not stop horror creators from bringing us the thrills and kills we’ve craved throughout the apocalypse. With a little help from director Richard Oakes and writer and co-director Adam Leader, we are delighted to report that a fresh batch of festive gore is on the horizon.

Oakes and Leader are UK-based horror pals who came up with the story for debut British supernatural indie flick Hosts back in November 2018. Catching up with Oakes, he told Vampire Squid:

“I shot one of Adam’s music videos in 2015 and we have been best friends ever since. He started working with me on music videos, then we made a filmmaking YouTube channel called Dark Fable Media. Through that we found investment for Hosts.”

To further tease us, Oakes stated:

“The film follows in the footsteps of classic successes such as The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Inglourious Basterds.”

Hosts begins on Christmas Eve, when an innocent couple become hosts to a malicious unknown entity that takes the form of an ominous glowing orb. The two make their way into a family of five’s house. Throughout the night, they terrorise them in unimaginably violent, disturbing and supernatural ways. These demonic possessions mark the beginning of a worldwide supernatural takeover, and the family of five who fall victim to the first attack are the unfortunate ones who experience the start of this dark epidemic.

The film is shot in the scenic city of Oxford and features a British cast. Premiering in the US first from October 2nd 2020, there is currently no date set for the UK premiere. Luckily for us, the Squid has managed to bag a full interview with Oakes in the meantime, allowing us a sneak preview of some of the surprises he and Leader have in store.