Best known for appearing in horror classics likeThe Return of the Living DeadandFriday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, legendary horror movie icon Thom Mathews is making his return to narrative acting in the Rellik Pictures movieKiller Therapy.
Directed by Barry Jay (Ashes), the movie explores the disturbing thoughts and ensuing therapy sessions of a young man named Brian.Thom Mathewsleads the cast as family patriarch John Langston, and here’s what the actor has to say about taking on a lead role once again in the horror genre.
“I’m very excited to bring Barry Jay & Andrew Krop’s scriptKiller Therapyto life. After meeting with Barry and reading the script, I knew I wanted to bring this character to the screen because it brought me back to my horror roots. I always attempt to find the humanity in every role and I have a bloody good role as John Langston.Killer Therapyis a complex story and I enjoyed going to the set every day.”
InKiller Therapy, Brian is a disturbed child with sociopathic tendencies dealing with a father who doesn’t love him, a mother unconvinced of his violent nature, and a newly adopted sister he believes is there to replace him. After a series of escalating violent incidents, he is bounced around from failed therapist to failed therapist, maturing into a young man still unable to escape his anger issues. When his life eventually falls apart by his own choices, Brian blames his series of failed therapists, embracing his dark nature and taking his revenge on everyone who ever wronged him - one by one, finally understanding that accepting who you are inside can be the best therapy.
As Freddie, Mathews portrayed one of the most memorable characters in Dan O’Bannon’s cult classic horror movieThe Return of the Living Dead. He further solidified himself as a genre fan favorite by taking over therole of Tommy Jarvisin Tom McLoughlin’s sequelFriday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, which is considered by many to be among the best of the franchise. WhenFriday the 13th: The Gameincluded the character, Mathews provided his voice and likeness for Tommy Jarvis. He also appeared in a special cameo reprising the role for theFriday the 13thfan filmNever Hike Alone, and its creators have since teased bringing him back for a follow-up fan film.
It was previously believed that Thom Mathews would appear as a fictionalized version of himself in theFriday the 13threunion movie13 Fanboy. Directed byFriday the 13th: A New Beginningstar Deborah Voorhees, the meta-slasher follows a masked killer taking out many beloved stars of the popular horror franchise. Apparently, Thom Mathews is no longer involved with the project. Some of the other names from the series confirmed to appear do include Corey Feldman, Kane Hodder, Lar Park Lincoln, CJ Graham, Jennifer Banko, Judie Aronson, and Adrienne King. The movie is now currently in production after running a successful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.
Mathews will be just one of many familiar horror stars to appear inKiller Therapy. Also confirmed for the cast are PJ Soles (Halloween,Carrie), Adrienne King (Friday the 13th), and Daeg Faerch (Rob Zombie’s Halloween). The movie introduces Michael Qeliqi as Brian, with Elizabeth Keener (The L Word) and Ivy George (Big Little Lies) also starring. As of now, there isn’t an official release date forKiller Therapy. The movie is currently in post-production and is expected to premiere on the festival circuit in the near future. You can take a look at some of the first stills fromKiller Therapybelow.
