Dawners

Introducing Dawners, a first to exploit the Halloween haunted house phenomenon that teens seek for Halloween thrills. This unique horror-thriller centers on a cult whose twisted devotion to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer takes this annual attraction to new extremes. Every October, The Dawners, led by the enigmatic and deranged WILLIAM “CANNIBILL” WILLIAMS (50s), build an elaborate haunted house attraction. Promising the ultimate fear experience, although this is no ordinary haunted house—it’s a deadly trap where thrill-seekers and seasonal workers are drawn in, only to find themselves prey for a series of cannibalistic rituals. The narrative opens at a major league baseball game, where TIM ROBERTS (30s), a former star pitcher and survivor of the Dawner’s horrors, takes the ceremonial first pitch with a newly outfitted bionic arm that is a stark reminder of the trauma inflicted by the cult. Flashbacks reveal how Cannibill’s disturbing fascination with human flesh and murder developed during his time working in a morgue, leading to his devotion to Dahmer. Forming a sick cult that worships Dahmer, the members chant eerie hymns and rituals in the deep woods. Their twisted plan, which involves a haunted house with no exit, is staffed with local high-school teens. As disappearances escalate, law enforcement is forced to investigate, but when local officers investigating the cult go missing, the case escalates to the FBI. Agents KIM WARD (40s) and MARK EVANS (30s) are brought in to track down the Dawners. Driven and methodical, Kim suspects the cult’s haunted house is a front for something far darker. Mark, initially skeptical, soon realizes they’re up against a complex, manipulative network hiding in plain sight. When Kim and Mark close in on CanniBill’s compound, a horrifying twist comes to light: as Agent Evans reveals himself as a Dawner, secretly protecting the cult’s dark secrets. Meanwhile, CanniBill kidnaps Agent Ward, intending to make her his queen in a twisted ceremony that tests her resilience. Bound and terrorized, she fights for her life, but the cult’s manipulative power leaves her fate ambiguous—has she resisted the cult, or has CanniBill’s brainwashing succeeded? In a dramatic final act, the FBI launches a raid on the Dawners’ compound, but the horror continues. In a shocking ending twist, Agent Ward attends an FBI debriefing where she subtly reveals a necklace gifted by CanniBill and begins to chant, “Hail Jeffrey; Hail CanniBill.” This twisted revelation exposes that the Dawners’ influence has not only infiltrated the FBI but has set the stage for a terrifying sequel. Dawners masterfully weaves themes of obsession, horror, cannibalism, and psychological manipulation, turning the haunted house concept into a visceral nightmare where trust is shattered and fear is inescapable. With its final twist, Dawners sets the stage for more dark revelations and leaves audiences questioning who, if anyone, has truly escaped the cult’s grasp.