Panic Fest 2025 featured the latest film by director Craig Ouellette, Straight on Till Morning. After a long career of making short films, Ouellette teamed up to write this feature film with Neal McLaughlin (Hillhead, I Was a Teenage Wereskunk). The film follows two women falling in love on a cross-country roadtrip after a chance meeting. Their journey takes a dramatic turn when they’re held prisoner by a twisted family with sinister intentions.

Straight on Till Morning tells two different, intertwined stories in one film. In the beginning, it’s a love story. First we meet Dani, a musician on the road to California to seek fame and fortune. Then Dani meets Kaitlin, a waitress working at a roadside diner in an abusive relationship. On a whim, Dani invites Kaitlin along for the ride. Surprisingly, Kaitlin decides to leave her husband and life behind to travel with the strange woman. From there, the audience watches their love story unfold as two women with uncertain futures try to make better lives for themselves. A late night stop at a rest area marks a dramatic turn in their journey when they encounter a dangerous masked man. The story becomes a fight for survival as these two women become prisoners of a deranged family with disturbing intentions for Dani and Kaitlin. Straight on Till Morning is a slightly more subdued blend of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and the 1980 film Mother’s Day. It encompasses themes of chasing your dreams, love at first sight, queerness, conservative religion, paternal love, and survival against all odds. Sometimes the tonal shifts can be jarring, but it’s impossible to not be drawn into Dani and Kaitlin’s story.

While watching Straight on Till Morning, audiences will find themselves drawn to the women in the film. Kelsey Christian makes her feature film debut as Dani. Once in a band, Dani is chasing her dream of being a rockstar. There is a hardened edge Christian brings to the character, conveying a tough persona, but the character’s love for Kaitlin reveals the tenderness within. Bonnie Jean Tyer (Washerwoman, Gal Pals) plays Kaitlin. At first, Kaitlin seems like the more naive of the two women, yet when they’re in the face of danger Tyer makes it apparent she’s more equipped for survival. Christian and Tyer also have great chemistry, making their love story all the more compelling. Audiences are also sure to remember Maria Olsen (All the Creatures Were Stirring, Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge) as the matriarch of the evil family, Lilly. Olsen delivers the kind of performance that is outwardly stoic most of the time, but still highlights the madness within.

An important element of Straight on Till Morning is music. Dani was in a band and is trying to be a famous musician, so she sings quite often in the film. It even becomes part of what brings her and Kaitlin together. While the music is well done and Christian has a great voice, there are moments where the music becomes a tad repetitive or takes the audience out of a tense scene. Most of the film takes place in the remote homestead of Dani and Kaitlin’s captors. It’s the perfect place to commit heinous crimes, and the production design emphasizes how the family has modified the house to meet their specific, sinister needs. Horror fans are sure to love the frightening mask worn by a member of the family and there is even a fair amount of blood and gore, adding to the terror as it unfolds.

Straight on Till Morning tells a heartfelt tale of queer love up against violent, nightmarish odds. Ouellette delivers a memorable feature film that feels reminiscent of bloody exploitation films of the 70’s, but with a modern edge. The tone can be uneven, which occasionally comes through the performances as well, but the core story of Dani and Kaitlin is always at the forefront. The compelling characters and sometimes shocking visuals result in plenty of romance, thrills, and carnage.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10