The Ruse Trailer Drops a Terrifying Puzzle—And You Won't Solve It Easily
They don't make haunted house movies like they used to.
No, seriously—Hollywood has a blueprint for them. The haunted house creaks. The protagonist gasps. A shadow moves. Then, cue the jump scare. Rinse and repeat. But The Ruse? It wants to break that mold, and if the trailer is any clue, it's playing a far smarter game than your typical ghost story.
Stevan Mena, the indie horror filmmaker behind Malevolence, isn't serving up your standard “scary old mansion” setup. Instead, the trailer hints at something more insidious: a psychological battle where the house itself may not be the real threat.
Is This The Others Meets Knives Out—With Ghosts?
The film follows Dale (Madelyn Dundon), a home caregiver sent to replace a nurse who mysteriously vanishes. The job? Take care of an elderly patient in a remote seaside house. Simple enough. Except the house seems to be hiding secrets—ones that make Dale question everything, including her own sanity.
The trailer leans heavily on psychological horror, using eerie silences, cryptic whispers, and unsettling visuals that suggest there's more at play than a simple haunting. The presence of horror icon Veronica Cartwright (Alien, The Witches of Eastwick) only reinforces that this is a film steeped in genre history, and not afraid to subvert it.
A Classic Horror Setup—With a Mind-Twisting Difference
We've seen this before:
- An isolated house? Check.
- An unsuspecting caretaker? Check.
- Mysterious figures lurking in the background? Double check.
But here's the twist—The Ruse doesn't outright tell you whether the house is haunted. Instead, it layers on psychological tension, suggesting that what's happening could be supernatural… or it could be something even worse. A conspiracy? A breakdown of reality? The trailer refuses to give a clear answer.
This ambiguity sets it apart from the usual horror fare. It's less Insidious, more The Invitation—a slow-burn thriller that messes with your head before it goes for the kill.
Why The Ruse Might Be 2025's Most Underrated Horror Film
Stevan Mena's previous films have developed a cult following for their mix of old-school horror and unexpected depth. If The Ruse follows suit, it won't just be another haunted house flick—it'll be the kind of horror movie that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
And that's what makes this trailer so effective. It doesn't just sell you on scares. It sells you on a mystery you desperately want to solve.
But be warned: you might not like the answer.
Would You Dare Enter The Ruse?
The film drops in theaters May 16, 2025. Until then, rewatch the trailer and tell me—what's your theory? Ghosts? Madness? Or something we haven't even considered yet?
Drop your thoughts in the comments. And maybe keep the lights on.
