Ugly Cry release plans set after Obscured Releasing lands SXSW film
Obscured Releasing has acquired North American rights to Emily Robinson’s SXSW horror comedy, with theaters planned before digital.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
The Ugly Cry release is taking shape: Obscured Releasing has acquired North American rights to Emily Robinson’s psychological horror comedy after its world premiere at SXSW, Deadline reported.
The film is Robinson’s first feature as a director. She also wrote the movie and stars as Delaney, a young Hollywood actress whose life spirals as she struggles with body dysmorphia and punishing beauty expectations.
According to Deadline, a theatrical rollout is being planned for this fall, with a digital release to follow later in the year. No specific theater date or platform lineup was announced.
When is the Ugly Cry release?
Ugly Cry is expected to reach theaters in North America this fall before heading to digital platforms later in 2026, according to Deadline. A precise release date has not been disclosed.
The deal was handled by Justin Timms and Joe Yanick of Yellow Veil Pictures, with Bill Guentzler and RJ Millard representing Obscured Releasing, Deadline reported.
Robinson is known as an actress from Eighth Grade, and Ugly Cry marks her jump into feature directing. The movie’s setup puts industry image pressure and online-era body anxiety right at the center of its horror-comedy engine.
The cast also includes Ryan Simpkins, Aaron Dominguez and Robin Tunney. Producers are Sophia Sabella, Pablo Feldman and Jolene Mendes of More Avenue, along with Rhianon Jones and Tristan Scott-Behrends of Neon Heart Productions.
Executive producers listed by Deadline are Debbie von Ahrens, Jim Robinson, Kyle Campbell, Troy Press, Bella Appel, Darci Price, Galileo Mondol, Todd Remis and David Wetzel.
After launching at SXSW, Ugly Cry continued on the festival circuit with screenings at Overlook Film Festival and Maryland Film Festival. It also had its international premiere in competition at Filmfest München.
Robinson said the film considers “the horror of having a body in the age of the internet,” adding that modern society can be frightening, awkward and funny. She said the team’s relationship with Obscured began at SXSW and that the distributor understood the film’s mixed-genre style.
Guentzler and Millard praised Robinson’s first feature, calling her a filmmaking talent and pointing to her writing, performance as Delaney and direction of the ensemble. They also compared the film’s thriller charge to early Hitchcock work viewed through a sharp modern perspective.
For Obscured Releasing, the acquisition gives the company a festival-tested title with a recognizable SXSW launch and a premise built around Hollywood, body image and internet-age dread. For Robinson, it puts her feature debut on a North American release path before the end of the year.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.