Cineverse, the outfit behind the Terrifier franchise, has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to The Things You Kill by Iranian director Alireza Khatami (Terrestrial Verses, Oblivion Verses) with a theatrical release planned for this fall.
The Sundance 2025 film took home the Directing Award in the World Cinema Dramatic section followed by a strong festival run. It stars Ekin Koç as a Turkish born university professor working in the U.S. who is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance. As long-buried family secrets resurface, the police tighten their noose, and doubts begin eroding his conscience. Ali has no choice but to look into the abyss of his own soul. With Erkan Kolçak Köstendil, Hazar Ergüçlü, and Ercan Kesal.
“Alireza Khatami has swiftly established himself as one of the most compelling new voices in global cinema, a reputation that reaches new heights with The Things You Kill,” says Eric Rowe, executive director of programming at Cineverse. “Fusing the surreal and unsettling atmospherics of David Lynch with the intricate moral and dramatic craftsmanship of Asghar Farhadi, Alireza Khatami masterfully constructs one of the most effective and absorbing psychological thrillers to debut in recent memory that is guaranteed to stay with the viewer long after the credits roll.”
“I’m grateful to have found a thoughtful and ambitious partner in Cineverse,” says Khatami. “The U.S. has always been a meaningful audience for my work—especially for The Things You Kill, which echoes the American tradition of psychological thrillers. It’s a grounded exploration of masculinity, grief, and guilt, with a couple of sharp turns I can’t wait to surprise audiences with.”
The deal was negotiated by Executive Director, Acquisitions Brandon Hill on behalf of Cineverse with Charles Bin of Best Friend Forever representing filmmakers. Trailer below:
