Empty Heaven

In October 2000, teen Darian travels from New York City to visit her crush, high school senior KJ, in the idyllic small town of Kesuquosh, Mass. Her visit coincides with the town’s annual Harvest Hallow, a celebration of local scarecrow god Good Arcturus. During previous visits, she found Kesuquosh and its residents to be a charming and quaint sanctuary from her childhood trauma. But when Darian witnesses KJ’s horrifying ritual induction as their god’s newest vessel, she must confront the sinister truth behind the town’s easygoing smiles and picturesque sunflower fields. As Darian is swept up in a desperate quest to save KJ from Good Arcturus’s eldritch clutches, she unearths dark secrets from the town’s suppressed past. Kölsch (Now, Conjurers) approaches sensitive topics like religious indoctrination and romantic connection for sexual assault survivors— as experienced by Darian—with care and reverence, elegantly intertwining the heavy themes with heartwarming queer found family dynamics. Utilizing a likable cast and witty banter anchored by a sincere romance, Kölsch delivers on both chills and catharsis in this occult horror thriller about the power of human connection. Darian cues as white; KJ is half Japanese. Ages 14–up. Agent: Martha Perotto-Wills and Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency. (Aug.)