Using Halloween to Reveal Real-Life Horror

I Choose Freedom has launched a chilling new ad, airing in cinemas during Halloween season and beyond, to highlight the real-life terror faced by thousands of women behind closed doors.

The 90-second cinematic spot follows an ordinary woman in an ordinary house, taking a quiet moment for herself in a bath of bubbles. But familiar sounds - a creaking door, a floorboard - interrupt her calm; tension builds. She catches her reflection in the bathroom mirror just as a masked figure appears behind her. When the mask is lifted, it’s clear: the threat is someone she knows. “Not tonight, please,” she whispers - a line that lands with devastating understatement.

Christopher Ringsell, Creative Partner at Good Eggs commented, “Many people wear masks at Halloween, but perpetrators of domestic abuse wear a mask in society - with the real monster only revealed behind closed doors. We leaned into classic horror tropes and reframed them to show the true fear one in four women live with every day. The aim was to create something that feels cinematic, chilling - and horribly real.”

The spot, - created by Good Eggs, produced by MindsEye and directed by Anne-Sofie Lindgaard - will air in advance of horror titles and chillers across the DCM cinema network, including ODEON, Vue, Cineworld and Picturehouse cinemas.

Teresa Parker, Communications Lead at I Choose Freedom, added, “After two decades of working with survivors, I can honestly say there’s no horror film that compares to what women living in fear of their partner describe. The mask in our film reflects the façade many abusers present to the world - respectable, charming, even admired. This time we’re lifting that mask, exposing the truth that’s too often hidden in plain sight.”

For over 40 years, I Choose Freedom has provided safety and refuge to thousands of women and children escaping domestic abuse. But as we launch our Halloween campaign, we're also want to raise awareness that over half our income will run out by 31 March 2026, leaving our refuge network and helpline under threat.

Emma Bray, CEO of I Choose Freedom, commented, “This Halloween, our biggest fear is that our refuge services won’t exist unless long-term funding becomes a government priority. You can’t halve violence against women, as the government has pledged, if the refuges that keep women alive are forced to close. We’re immensely grateful to the team who brought this powerful campaign to life, and to everyone who shares the film and helps us keep the doors open.”

‍

Please note: while there is not explicit violence shown in this film, it does portray the fear of domestic abuse, so please be aware of this before deciding to watch or share.

‍