City of Masks

City of Masks (2026) is a supernatural upcoming horror feature film from director Andrea M. Catinella. The film centres on Christian, played by Charlie Goddard, and his otherworldly experience of his first major role in a London West End theatre production. 

The production is of a fictional longstanding show called ‘City of Masks’ which has been recreated by visionary Victor, played by Deano Bugatti Mitchison, with a whole new set of songs. Victor is suspicious, seeming to Christian to be strangely involved in the ghostly darkness which permeates the theatre. Christian is sucked into finding out the harrowing truth about the show, in so doing finding justice for a case that was long forgotten.

It is incredibly refreshing to see a horror film with its basis in theatre. The film itself is largely musical, and takes place largely within the theatre building. Audiences are taken backstage, behind the scenes of the set and into the dressing room. All of the characters are involved in the production one way or another, immersing viewers within the intriguing world of theatre. It’s a brilliant parallel to see the art of the film medium so encompassed and beautifully characterised by its predecessor, theatre.

The performers in City of Masks are brilliant in both mediums. Concerning stage features, there are incredible shifts and stage presence. Whilst offstage, there is some great chemistry between characters, particularly Christian and Eve, a ghost played by Amanda Jiang, who viewers meet early on in peculiar circumstances. Another honourable mention goes to Mitchison’s Victor, who is highly convincing in his sinister and untrustworthy demeanour. Viewers will be positively disgusted by his character as his initial arrogance and hostility unwind to be the tip of a very bad iceberg.

City of Masks uses impressive filming strategies in order to convey feelings and tone without using excessive editing or budgeting costs. The use of sound and space is well enacted, with the camera distancing itself from characters to create an awkward, unworthy feel, and zooming in closer and more intimately when highlighting a character's strong attributes.

In the film’s supernatural aspects, viewers will be enamoured by the creative use of lighting and costume. The film does a brilliant job of shifting the tone of the same space through minimal editing, simply through the moody music choices and subtle lighting changes. Viewers will feel lured into the dazzling surreality of the otherworldly spaces within the theatre, just as Christian is, as he journeys down the rabbit hole to reveal dark truths.

The film’s London setting adds excellently to the sense of heritage in the story. London is often seen as a vital source and the birthplace of theatre, such as through the likes of William Shakespeare, who made his name known during his travels there. London has forever been a creative hub for the arts, with longstanding shows like Mousetrap still drawing in audiences from all over the world. 

London is also very well known for its gothic history, full of ghost stories and dark history which tourists are often enamoured by. The combination of the theatre and horror genre could therefore be in no better setting than the city of London, and through doing so, the film makes intriguing commentary on how history can be warped by those in power to create a story that covers up their crimes.

Overall, City of Masks is a great, frightening, entertaining ghost story with well-crafted characters. The film also has the addition of a vibrant musical theatre soundtrack. Viewers will find themselves absorbed in the lively horror as they watch, and satisfied by the film’s dramatic twists and build-up of action towards the end of the third act.

The film has its world premiere at Vue Piccadilly on Thursday 29 October and opens in UK cinemas from Friday 30 October 2026.