Shelved! The dreaded word that anyone that has worked on a film hates to hear. It has happened with a good many high profile films including Snowpiercer, Hidden, and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. When Oliver Blackburn, an English director, came out with the well received 2008 thriller, Donkey Punch, folks were curious to see what was next for him. By 2013 he had a new film, titled Satanic, all ready to go. Starring up-and-comer Haley Bennett and Twilight’s Ashley Greene, the Weinstein Company suddenly held it back, the film changed titles three times, and landed up on disc in some foreign markets before finally being released in the states in 2015 near Halloween on the Lifetime network.

During Thanksgiving break, Justine decides to stay at college and take it easy for a few days. Alone in a deserted and isolated campus, rather than allowing boredom to set in, she enjoys her time alone swimming, studying, and watching movies. Yet on an excursion to the local convenience store, she meets a curious stranger that happens to be short on money. Justine, being a good Samaritan, offers to pay for the girl’s soda. Unbeknownst to her, the stranger is something more than just a down-on-her-luck outsider.

Kristy, the final title of the film, was written by Anthony Jaswinski, familiar to genre fans as the screenwriter for Brad Anderson’s movie Vanishing on 7th Street. The history of the film is very much in mystery. Why did it get re-titled many times? What caused the producers to wait three years to release it? Ashley Greene, on her website, promoted its Halloween release on the Lifetime Network which has recently had some fine thrillers including Stephen King’s Big Driver. Dark Discussions takes a look at the film and gives their thoughts.