One of the best indie horror films of 2018 is Jenn Wexler‘s The Ranger. Written by Wexler and Giaco Furino, the film feels like the love child of The Return of the Living Dead and Wolf Creek. Since premiering at SXSW in March, the film has been touring the national and international festival circuit and had short theater runs in both New York and Los Angeles. It was reported this week by Variety that the film was picked up by AMC’s horror streaming service Shudder and will debut on the network next year.

Thursday night I attended the premiere for a new punk rock horror film The Ranger at the IFC Center in New York City. Combining the cultural aesthetic and vibe of Dan O’Bannon’s Return of the Living Dead with the menacing expanse of Wolf Creek, The Ranger is a kickass slasher flick with a pulsing punk soundtrack that introduces a truly memorable new horror villain. All weekend long, director and co-writer Jenn Wexler along with members of the cast and crew, participated in Q&As after the screenings. Wexler, a first-time director, has worked as a producer for Larry Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix, which focuses on New York-based independent film, many in the horror genre. I got a chance to speak with Wexler about her film, her influences, and her career.

The Ranger
Directed by Jenn Wexler
Written by Jenn Wexler, Giaco Furino
Starring Chloë Levine, Granit Lahu, Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler, Amanda Grace Benitez, Jeremy Holm, Larry Fessenden
Glass Eye Pix
Release date: August 17, 2018 (NY)

33 years ago to the day Dan O’Bannon’s punk rock horror classic, Return of the Living Dead opened in theaters. The spirit of that film is alive and well in The Ranger, a new punk rock horror film that opens in New York today, and had its premiere last night at the IFC Center in the village. The Ranger is the first film directed by Jenn Wexler, a producer with Larry Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix. It was co-written and based on a script from Giaco Furino. Together, they not only kept the punk rock tradition of ROTLD alive, but created a whole new monster, and with it one of the year’s best horror films. Combining a kickass punk soundtrack, a psychedelic filming style, and one of the creepiest modern day bad guys in horror, The Ranger is a must see that leaves genre fans howling.

More below.