A mysterious plague is spreading through the countryside, but in The Ones Who Grieve, the real horror may be much closer to home.

French filmmaker Quarxx, director of All the Gods in the Sky and Pandemonium, returns with the 19th-century horror drama, and the first teaser offers a disturbing glimpse at a world consumed by disease, religious fanaticism, and madness.

The Ones Who Grieve will make its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest, which runs September 17–24 in Austin, Texas.

Set at the end of the 19th century, the film follows Zélie, a young woman trapped on an isolated farm under the control of her deeply religious father, Jacob.

As a mysterious disease known as the “Black Veil” begins ravaging the surrounding countryside, the boundaries between faith and madness start to disappear.

Zélie is forced to fight not only for her freedom, but for her very sense of humanity.

The plague may provide the film’s larger nightmare, but Quarxx’s director’s statement suggests that The Ones Who Grieve is ultimately about something far more intimate: control.

“The Ones Who Grieve is, above all, a film about control.”

The filmmaker describes a form of domination that begins inside the family and eventually spreads throughout society, fueled by forbidden desire, silence, and authority imposed in the name of morality, religion, and family.

That makes Jacob’s role particularly disturbing. Fantastic Fest describes the character as a self-proclaimed prophet who uses religion as a weapon of domination, with Thierry Frémont delivering what the festival calls a chilling performance.

The cast also includes Zélie Rixhon, Isabelle Anciaux, and Jean-Baptiste Maunier.

Produced by Transgressive Production and Kali Pictures, The Ones Who Grieve is currently seeking distribution.

With its plague-ravaged setting, oppressive religious atmosphere, and a young woman fighting to escape her father’s control, the film looks like another unsettling entry from Quarxx.

The North American premiere takes place at Fantastic Fest this September.

Stay tuned to GoreCulture for more coverage from the festival.