Before Sick even screens at Fantastic Fest this week, it’s already found a home.
Pluto Film has acquired international rights to Sick ahead of its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026. The first teaser has also arrived alongside the announcement.
The Film
Sick marks the feature directorial debut of Agata Trzebuchowska, best known internationally for her lead performance in Paweł Pawlikowski’s Oscar-winning Ida (2013). Here, she steps behind the camera for the first time to write and direct a psychological horror rooted in the discomfort of adolescence.
The story follows sixteen-year-old Maks (Konrad Kąkol) and his older sister Emma (Katarzyna Łubik), sent to rural Poland for the summer to care for their ailing grandmother. Isolated in stifling heat, their bond begins to shift into something unsettling and difficult to define. As tensions rise and boundaries blur, their grandmother’s frail presence takes on an increasingly disturbing quality, turning a once-idyllic summer into a haunting passage into adulthood.
What the Team Says
Producer Patryk Sielecki described the film as both provocative and tender, “We believe SICK can resonate beyond the genre circuit, as it is ultimately a deeply emotional story about adolescence, desire and dependence, centred on a relationship that crosses every possible boundary.”
Daniela Cölle, Managing Director at Pluto Film, explains what drew her to the project, “Rather than a coming-of-age story, SICK is the horror of growing up, exploring the fear, confusion, and loss of certainty that accompany the passage into adulthood. We were captivated by the film’s distinctive tone, emotional complexity, and ability to create unease through suggestion rather than explanation.”
The Festival Journey
Sick world-premieres at Fantastic Fest 2026 this week. After that, it heads to a European premiere at Sitges Film Festival. Lumisenta, the Polish production company, produces the project.
No wider release date has been announced yet.
