Who was Dorothea Puente? Chilling true story behind a serial killer grandma coming to theaters this Halloween
This Halloween, horror gets disturbingly real as Dread Films unleashes ‘Dorothea.’ It’s a chilling true-crime thriller about a grandmother whose deadly secret was buried right in her backyard. Epic Pictures’ horror division, Dread, has announced that ‘Dorothea’ will hit theaters on October 31, perfectly timed for the spookiest night of the year. The film will then arrive on VOD starting November 4, continuing Dread’s growing slate of horror projects inspired by true crimes that shocked the world. Written and directed by Chad Ferrin, ‘Dorothea’ stars Susan Priver (‘Night Caller’) in the unsettling lead role of Dorothea Puente, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
She plays a seemingly kind-hearted boarding house owner who hid a monstrous double life. The film also features Lew Temple (‘The Walking Dead’), Brinke Stevens (‘House on Haunted Hill’), Ginger Lynn (‘The Devil’s Rejects’), Brenda James (‘Slither’), Cassandra Gava (‘Conan the Barbarian’), Cyril O’Reilly (‘Porky’s’), Ezra Buzzington (‘The Artist’), and Robert Miano (‘Fast & Furious’). But behind its eerie trailer and haunting visuals lies a shocking true story. In the 1980s, Dorothea Puente appeared to be a caring grandmother who ran a quiet Sacramento boarding house for the elderly and disabled. In reality, she was a cold-blooded serial k*ller.
Puente preyed on her vulnerable tenants by drugging them, stealing their Social Security checks, and burying their bodies in her garden, as reported by LA Times. Her crimes went unnoticed for years, until authorities uncovered the gruesome remains of multiple victims hidden beneath her property, earning her the nickname ‘The Death House Landlady.’ Director Chad Ferrin, known for his gritty and psychological approach to horror, brings Puente’s shocking story to life with unnerving realism. The film marks the second installment in Dread’s growing true crime horror collection, following the studio’s earlier success with ‘Ed Kemper.’
Up next in the lineup: a film centered on Richard Ramirez, the notorious ‘Night Stalker,’ also helmed by Ferrin. Dread CEO and executive producer Patrick Ewald described ‘Dorothea’ as an unflinching look at the darkness behind ordinary faces. “‘Dorothea’ is the second in our series of unflinching true crime films that explore the darkest corners of human nature,” Ewald said. “Director Chad Ferrin masterfully transports audiences to the era in which these horrifying events took place, capturing both the atmosphere and psychology of the time with a truly singular vision.”
Ewald also teased what’s next for the series, “Our next film with Chad, centered on Richard Ramirez, the ‘Night Stalker,’ will push this series even further, diving deeper into the terror and truth behind one of history’s most infamous killers.” By blending biographical detail with bone-chilling tension, ‘Dorothea’ is going to offer something far more disturbing than supernatural scares, a reminder that real monsters often live among us.
