The Resolution and The Endless star Peter Cilella has made the switch from the front of the camera to behind it, as he makes his directorial debut with Descendent. A tale of alien abduction and fatherhood with plenty of sci-fi and horror elements. Descendent boasts the acting talent of the likes of The Walking Dead's Ross Marquand and Stormbreaker's Sarah Bolger in lead roles, alongside Charlene Amoia, Brandon Scott, Alexandea Barreto, and more.
The movie is a product of Rustic Films, an indie production company with a proven track record at making quality stories on a shoestring budget. Founded by Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, and David Lawson, the team is one of the most exciting small production companies in the US, with Descendent proving popular when it debuted at the recent SXSW festival 2025. In attendance was Collider's Matthew Donato, who wrote in his review, "Cilella’s debut is confident and composed, prying open wounds that are sustained through everyday existence."
Ahead of the movie's theatrical release on August 8 and its digital release a week later, Collider held a screening of the movie hosted by Steve Weintraub, which was followed by a Q&A with the aforementioned Cilella, Benson, Moorhead, and Lawson. From the journey of making this movie with a limited budget to some of the team's involvement in Daredevil: Born Again, here's what the makers of Descendent discussed.
Descendent is now playing in limited release in theaters and expands nationwide and is available on VOD on August 15.
1