A new trailer for the highly anticipated (and expertly named) queer horror They/Them (They Slash Them) has just dropped, serving all the spine-tingling chills and thrills one could ask for. Produced by Blumhouse, the film is created, written and directed by three-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan, known for his work on productions such as Skyfall, Gladiator and The Aviator.

Despite being set in a conversion therapy camp, Logan’s directorial debut promises to also be an uplifting story of queer empowerment and solidarity, paying homage to the supportive communities that have been instrumental in protecting and advancing the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Instead of the starring teenagers being outcasts or alienated, their friendship is used to showcase the power of community, flipping the normative heterosexual gaze that has permeated the horror genre in the past.

In the trailer, we get a first look at leading characters played by the likes of Kevin Bacon, Anna Chlumsky, Carrie Preston, Theo Germaine, Austin Crute, Monique Kim, Anna Lore, Cooper Koch and Darwin del Fabro. Bacon has been cast as Owen Whistler, the owner of Whistler Camp: a place dedicated to giving LGBTQ+ youth “a new sense of freedom”.

Chlumsky and Preston appear as fellow staff members, with the conversion programme taking place throughout a week-long stay where residents undergo different treatments, each bringing with it a new element of torture. While the psychological horror mounts, another danger is revealed: there is a killer on the loose.

While it may sound ominous, the queer slasher boasts a tale of endurance. Its protagonist is non-binary teen Jordan, played by Theo Germaine, who works alongside other patients to protect themselves from both the murderous rampage and creepy camp owners.

They welcome them. They see them. They h̶e̶a̶r̶ fear them.

Stream the Peacock Original film #TheySlashThem from @blumhouse August 5. pic.twitter.com/12Z87b5hen

— Peacock (@peacock) July 20, 2022

Speaking on the film, Logan said: “I’ve loved horror movies as long as I can remember, I think because monsters represent ‘the other’ and as a gay kid I felt a powerful sense of kinship with those characters who were different, outlawed, or forbidden. I wanted to make a movie that celebrates queerness, with characters that I never saw when I was growing up.

“When people walk away from the movie, I hope they’re going to remember the incredible love that these kids have for each other and how that love needs to be protected and celebrated,” he added.

They/Them is scheduled for release on the Peacock streaming platform on August 5, but in the meantime, check out the trailer below!