The Coven Acquires Australian Slasher 'The Only One' Ahead of Brooklyn Horror Festival Premiere

Genre distributor The Coven has bought worldwide rights to “The Only One,” an Australian slasher film whose killer picks off the heroine’s ex-boyfriends, ahead of its world premiere at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival this month, Deadline reports.

The movie marks the directing debut of Michael Schwarz, who previously worked as a producer. Marek Polgar and Martyn Pedler wrote the script. John Schwarz produces, and Sydney-based Three777 Films serves as executive producer. Filming took place in Sydney, and the finished feature runs 100 minutes.

Mel Jarnson stars as Zoe, a woman who comes home to her small Australian town after an unsuccessful stab at an acting career in Los Angeles. The visit turns deadly when a masked figure dressed as a storybook “Prince Charming” starts murdering her former partners one by one. With suspicion falling on her, Zoe teams up with her high school best friend Piper, played by Saphira Moran, to unmask the killer before the last ex dies.

Jarnson’s credits include “Street Fighter,” and the Thai-born Australian also appeared in the horror film “Witchboard.” Moran, who appears in “Beast,” rounds out the central pairing. Aaron Glenane, Ben O’Toole, John Kim, Lincoln Younes and Sam Delich join the cast.

The Coven describes the film as a tribute to the slashers of the 1980s and 1990s with strong female leads. Genre outlets frame it differently. One publication ties it to the early-2000s slasher revival, and another compares its body count to Wes Craven’s “Scream,” its tangled relationships to “Obsession” and its broad humor to “There’s Something About Mary.” The premiere will test which of those reference points audiences recognize.

The sale lands as horror continues to attract buyers eager for inexpensive titles with clear hooks. A first feature with a built-in premise, a recognizable genre pedigree and a Brooklyn festival debut gives The Coven a marketable package.

The company has not announced a release date or platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.