“Descendent,” an L.A.-set thriller about an elementary school security guard unraveling after a close encounter, has been picked up by RLJE Films ahead of the feature’s debut at SXSW. The distributor is setting a theatrical release for North America later in 2025. Highland Film Groups has taken international rights.

Set in present-day Los Angeles, Descendent follows Sean Bruner, an elementary school security guard grappling with past trauma while preparing for the birth of his first child with his wife, Andrea. Haunted by his mother’s death in childbirth and his father’s suicide, Sean fears he’s destined to fail. After a beam of light appears in the sky during a late-night shift, Sean wakes in the hospital with an inexplicable talent for vivid, unsettling drawings of extraterrestrials and desert landscapes. As his visions blur the line between dreams and reality, Sean’s grip on sanity unravels. With time running out, he must confront his fears to escape his family’s tragic legacy.

The first is "Occupant" by Peter Cilella, who you may know as one of the lead actors in "Resolution," an early feature from Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead of "Loki," "Moon Knight," and "The Endless" fame. The dynamic duo served as producers, and the short and tells the tale of a man who is unexpectedly replaced by an alien replica of himself. It's a little under five minutes and packs a hell of a sci-fi punch.