Kusama directs “Mouthwashing” at Sony
A new wave of psychological horror is making its way to the big screen, thanks to an exciting acquisition that blends the unsettling narrative of video games with cinematic vision. Sony Pictures has secured the film rights for the acclaimed psychological horror game Mouthwashing, developed by Wrong Organ and published by Critical Reflex.
The game itself, released in 2024, has already proven its power. Blending nonlinear storytelling and surreal visions, Mouthwashing resonated strongly with audiences, earning an impressive 88 score on Metacritic and selling nearly a million copies. The gameplay centers on a stark, claustrophobic scenario: five crew members stranded aboard the space freighter Tulpar.
On the freighter, dwindling supplies, profound isolation, and mounting paranoia serve as the primary antagonists, exposing the deep fractures that exist between the stranded crew.
Adding significant weight to this potential adaptation is the involvement of director Karyn Kusama. Known for her intense and character-driven work, Kusama is attached to direct the project, bringing her unique sensibility to the gritty framework of the space horror.
She will be working alongside established scribes Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, who will help shape the narrative. Further bolstering the creative team are producers Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, bringing their expertise to the production.
Kusama’s experience in crafting intense, character-focused narratives is a perfect fit for the themes of psychological breakdown and claustrophobia inherent in the story of the Tulpar crew. Her previous work, including her Emmy-nominated direction of Showtime’s Yellowjackets, promises a layer of raw, visceral tension to the adaptation.
The resulting film promises to be a deeply immersive experience, taking the unsettling, fragmented world of the game and translating it into a cinematic spectacle that explores the thin line between survival and madness in the vacuum of space.
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