Spite is an 86-minute psychological drama with horror elements that follows a New York social worker who returns to her childhood home in Pittsburgh after the death of her estranged mother. As she confronts the abuse that defined her upbringing, she discovers a force inside the house that still sees her as a child in need of discipline. Blending emotional realism with unsettling suspense, Spite explores generational trauma, resilience, and the haunting ways that our past becomes our present.
Logline
Johanna, a struggling social worker, must return to her childhood home after the death of her estranged mother.
A short visit to settle her mother’s affairs soon becomes a waking nightmare as she is forced to confront the torment and abuse she thought she had left behind for good.
Trailer
Shot in a constricting 4:3 aspect ratio to mirror the claustrophobia of Johanna’s childhood, Spite invites its audience to inhabit both her fractured memories—revisited through a vintage television and worn VHS tapes—and the all too familiar dread of her new reality. A stark color palette, unsettling soundscape, and oppressive production design deepen the unease, while a hauntingly beautiful score blurs the line between what is left behind and what refuses to let go.