A Desert: Release date news, cast details and more about the upcoming horror thriller starring Kai Lennox

Joshua Erkman is making his feature debut with the upcoming horror thriller drama titled A Desert, which is gearing up for a May release. The 100-minute-long movie had its global premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival back in June 2024 and has ever since gained quite some traction on social media.

The story revolves around an aspiring photographer and how his adventures across the country (meant to give his struggling career a push) land him in a realm of horror he never saw coming. A Desert has received mixed early reviews from the critics and the audience and holds a decent RT score so far. The official synopsis of the movie, per IMDb, reads:

"A photographer's road trip takes a dark turn when he befriends a reckless couple, plunging him into a nightmarish neo-noir spiral of unpredictable horror."

When will A Desert be released?

A Desert will have a limited theatrical release in the United States and Canada on May 2, 2025. The much-anticipated horror drama also had multiple early screenings at FrightFest (United Kingdom), NOAM Faenza Film Festival (Italy), Toulouse Grindhouse Paradise Film Festival (France), Stiges Film Festival (Spain), and Splat!FilmFest International Fantastic Film Festival (Poland). On May 30, 2025, A Desert will have its digital release in France.

What do we know about the plot of A Desert?

With inspiration on the decline and struggle building up, aspiring photographer Alex Clark (portrayed by Kai Lennox) looks for new ways to revamp his professional career. Hoping to find purpose and the drive (to achieve something without the fear of failing), he ventures out across the vastness of the desert, uninhabited terrains, and stretches of bare land in southwestern America.

Little did he know that his road trip (meant to brighten him from the inside) would turn out to be a journey of horror. After having traveled for miles and hours, Alex decides to take a rest stop at a motel. But that decision turns his life upside down after a chance encounter with a couple (seemingly) from the room next to him, Susie Q. and Rennie, whose violent interactions (that Alex overheard) initially alarm him.

Things turn out to be ugly after the pair ends up at Alex's room, and then begins the nightmare he never imagined. On the other hand, Alex's wife, Samantha, is not able to reach her better half for quite some time and seeks help from a detective named Harold Palladino. What exactly happened to Alex? Where is he now? All these questions still remain to be answered.

Who is in the cast of A Desert?

Kai Lennox will lead the cast of A Desert in the role of the protagonist, Alex Clark. Alongside him, we have Sarah Lind playing the part of Alex's wife, Samantha.

David Yow will portray Harold Palladino, a private detective who gets involved in Alex's case. Ashley B. Smith and Zachary Ray Sherman will be seen playing the roles of Renny and Susie Q., the mysterious couple whose encounter with Alex is the main driving force behind the plot. Rob Zabrecky is also a part of A Desert's cast, but his role has not been specified yet.