Absurdist Horror ‘LITTERMATES’ at Alamo Drafthouse 

Award-winning gem opens this Friday for an exclusive one-week run in DTLA.

Angeleno indie horror fans get ready for a deeply strange cinematic experience as LITTERMATES opens this week at Alamo Drafthouse. The critically acclaimed absurdist horror feature opens Friday, November 6 as part of the prestigious Drafthouse Exclusives initiative. The film has earned momentum as an Official Selection at Fantastic Fest 2026 with key festival victories including the Narrative Feature Audience Award at Dances With Films and the Jury Prize Feature at the Manchester Film Festival.

Set against the eerie backdrop of a mysterious, quiet war, the film follows Liam, played by Joey Bader, and Mel, played by Kaylee McGregor, two disoriented survivors who flee to an isolated cottage in the English countryside. Arriving bloodied, speechless, and completely unable to process the trauma of their past, they are taken in by Chester, played by Oliver Woolf, an enigmatic caretaker who feeds, bathes, and patiently teaches them how to speak again. Inside Chester’s meticulously controlled sanctuary, Liam and Mel earn “nifties” for good behavior which are tokens redeemable for absurd comforts like hot tub sessions, dance parties, karaoke, and favorite meals.

While Liam embraces the safety of Chester’s world, Mel grows increasingly restless. Drawn to the locked gate, the dark surrounding woods, and the forbidden outer world Chester insists is far too dangerous to enter, her curiosity threatens to shatter the fragile order of their sanctuary and expose the terrifying truths holding their makeshift family together. 

Official trailer 

The creative vision behind LITTERMATES comes from co-directors Scott Tinkham and Michael Woloson, who bring a rich blend of dark comedy, surrealism, and visual precision to the screen. Woloson, a Los Angeles–based filmmaker by way of Las Vegas, specializes in character-driven narratives exploring memory and perception. A SXSW alum, he served as cinematographer and producer on Tinkham’s SXSW premiering short 24 Hours After Reading Tuesdays with Morrie. Woloson recently wrapped his latest directorial feature, Broken Branches, set for a 2027 festival run under executive producer Haley Nicole Johnson’s Under The Shell banner. Tinkham, a Minnesota native whose work operates at the intersection of emotional sincerity and dark humor, recently wrapped production on Two Schizos Take a Walk and is currently developing his next feature, Good Life, which Woloson will produce under the Under The Shell banner. The film was also executive produced by Haley Nicole Johnson, Joey Bader, Al Baker, Jake Kuhn, and Noah Stratton-Twine, with production by Oliver Woolf, Michael Woloson, Scott Tinkham, and Kaylee McGregor.

You can catch LITTERMATES at the Alamo Drafthouse inside The Bloc on Flower Street in DTLA from November 6 through November 12, 2026, complete with the theater’s signature craft cocktails and full menu service. Advance tickets, showtimes, and venue information are available on the Alamo Drafthouse website, with updates and behind-the-scenes content shared on the film’s official website and Instagram @littermatesfilm.