Kylgor in the Grisly Abyss (2026)

After the death of his people by the order of the evil King Kath, Kylgor the Conqueror and his band of surviving barbarians set out for revenge. Succeeding in their quest, with the king's severed head in their possession, the gang flees the kingdom with enemy soldiers close behind. But before they can escape, the Barbarians plummet into a giant underground abyss filled with horrific creatures, dangerous terrain, and a deep darkness lurking within.

KYLGOR IN THE GRISLY ABYSS, directed by Mason Newton DeRushie, is a sword and sorcery horror which follows Kylgor the Conqueror and his barbarian band who successfully seek vengeance by beheading the king who ravaged their lands and murdered their people. With the king’s army on their heels during their escape, they and their enemies fall into a large abyss.

Still courtesy Fantastic Fest

At this point, my fellow tabletop gamers will recognize a classic dungeon crawl. Kylgor’s band and their enemies must try to work together to escape the abyss as they encounter one terrifying monster after another, learning to defeat them while holding onto a tenuous truce that threatens to be broken at every turn. 

What makes KYLGOR stand out from other violent sword and sorcery movies like it is its production - a handful of line drawings and some world class stop-motion puppet work, practical blood and body horror effects to rival any horror film, and top-notch voice acting drew me into the world and the story in a way a standard live action would not have.

KYLGOR IN THE GRISLY ABYSS was screened at Fantastic Fest.