Rian (Rushabh Patel) types out his horror story in his room at the Claybourne Motel. in I KNOW HOW YOU DIE (2026) horror film

Sometimes the best horror happens in the space where reality and dreams (or nightmares) mesh. Slipstream, which is a term used more often in literature than in film, describes a story that has this dreamy, surreal quality.

In I Know Exactly How You Die (2026), the main character is a down-on-his-luck writer named Rian (Rushabh Patel, in his compelling on-screen feature debut). Would Rian be familiar with the concept of slipstream literature? And would he be aware that he was in a slipstream horror story of his own

This indie horror film, from writer Mike Corey and director Alexandra Speith, follows Rian as he tries to do the impossible: win back his ex-girlfriend Sarah and finish a book before his antsy agent drops him as a client. To do the latter, he retreats to the Claybourne Motel, a rundown motel in Pennsylvania. Once he gets there, things become strange, and fast. The motel has a disturbing history: Years ago, a man murdered his wife and children. But he refused to take responsibility for it, and instead, said that all he did was write down his intrusive thoughts, and they manifested in horrific ways.

From the enigmatic property manager Naja (Rawya El Chab), to the always-on-edge Brandy (Katie Weiland), to Rian’s new love interest Katie (Stephanie Gomes Hogan), the women at the Claybourne Motel all seem to be hiding something. And Rian happens to also be harbouring a secret of his own: He’s writing about an addiction counselor named Katie, who is on the run from her stalker (Bobby Liga) -- a deadly and monstrous serial killer.

Enter the real-life Katie, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the fictional version – from her name, to her profession, right down to the fact she also happens to have a murderous stalker. Rian quickly realises the story he’s writing is coming to life at the haunted motel.

However, if Rian is in control of the story, what about the agency of the women at the Claybourne Motel?

When Rian arrives and checks in with Naja, she tells him she’s a writer, too – stuck in his own bubble, Rian neglects to ask her what she writes. (She’s a poet with a mysteriously missing husband.) He’s too busy in his own story to find out hers. And it is Naja who knows the disturbing history of the hotel and may hold the key to its mystery, even though Rian doesn’t give her the respect she deserves.

Rian gets lost on the way to his hotel room, and he ends up following Brandy to her room instead. When she calls him out on it, she cooly tells him, “Don’t take offense to my self-preservation skills.” He doesn’t completely absorb what she says; instead, he wants to prove that he’s a good guy, without thinking about what trauma caused Brandy to develop these self-preservation skills.

While Katie is the one who is most at risk (her stalker, once revealed, is truly terrifying), she’s also the most heroic. Within her first five minutes on screen, she saves the life of a man who is overdosing by administering Narcan. She also delivers the best line of the film when she tries to explain the vulnerability of being a woman in the world to a clueless Rian: “No one feels entitled to your attention or your body or your whole fucking existence.” It’s crystal clear that Katie is tough; she doesn’t need saving from anyone.

Rian (Rushabh Patel) and Katie (Stephanie Gomes Hogan) stand outside of the Claybourne Motell in I KNOW HOW YOU DIE 2026

Nevertheless, Rian is eager to be her hero, both in the pages of his book and in the halls of the motel. And from the start, the movie positions Rian as an unreliable narrator. Yes, he seems truly heartbroken about Sarah – but he himself almost veers into stalker territory by leaving her innumerable pushy voicemails. Seldom he seems like he earnestly cares about Katie – and he also disregards the experiences of the women around him.

Corey’s script and Patel’s affable charm combine to make Rian likable, even when his actions seem questionable. Some of the best moments in I Know Exactly How You Die come from his humor, and excellent line delivery. As he starts falling for Katie, he asks his agent if he can turn his story into a romance instead of horror. When he’s philosophising about his peaceful breakup with Sarah, he admits to Naja, “It’s kinda weird wishing that we had a screaming match so I could, like, workshop my personality or something.” A funny quip, but is there also something darker underneath his jokes?

As the film builds towards its conclusion, the passage of time and the control Rian feels over his story (aka, the reality of the women’s lives) gets more and more slippery. The film shows us his nightmares – or are they visions? Or maybe they are memories? – Ones of violence, and bathtubs full of blood. Rian is trying to save Katie from her stalker. Is that more important to him than writing a lurid story that’ll get his agent off his back?

With a stomach-churning amount of gore, a villain who will unsettle even the most hardened viewer and a story that keeps viewers guessing what’s real and what’s fictional, I Know Exactly How You Die is an enjoyable surprise of a horror film that will particularly intrigue anyone who’s wondered where their creative inspiration comes from.

I Know Exactly How You Die premiered January 17, 2026, at the Dances With Films festival in New York City. Stay tuned for information on a release date.