The R.I.P. Man 2025 is a twisted and original British indie slasher that blends dental horror with psychological backstory and retro flair, writes HAUNTED CHARLIE HALL
Every now and again, a sinister film comes along that makes you cringe with discomfort—especially when it’s about a subject related to a phobic condition… so those with dentophobia, be warned!
The R.I.P. Man 2025 is the latest slasher crime horror from GMP Dread Productions, directed by Jamie Langlands and written and produced by Rhys Thompson. Both appear in the film alongside actor Matt Weyland, most known from EastEnders and The Crucible.
I was curious to see this film as I’m a big horror fan and had seen posts about it. However, I’m also a dentist’s nightmare patient and have panic attacks whenever I have treatment!
Watching this was bittersweet for me, but I buzzed off the fact that I was recoiling and pulling faces during the gruesome toothy bits—so it definitely had the desired effect.
The story is a tooth-for-a-tooth tale about a group of students who become inexplicably targeted by a demented, bloodthirsty killer called Alden (Owen Llewelyn).
His growing tooth collection and weird obsession with all things dental keeps the suspense going as you wonder what’s really happening.
DCI Gary Mullen (Matt Weyland, who is very convincing and suited to the detective character) intensely investigates the murders, following clues and visiting family members who spill the harrowing beans.
This leads him to unearth a dark family secret that, unbeknownst to those involved, has fuelled a raging revenge—giving reason to Alden’s killing spree.
I really like the film’s peculiar concept. It is unique, and very clever how they tied it all into the story.
I caught up with Rhys and Jamie to find out more about where the idea came from and how they put it all together.
“In 2020, I watched a documentary about a rare oral disease called Anodontia, a condition in which humans are born without the ability to grow teeth. I had the idea of using this for the antagonist, then I gradually began to add more attributes and layers to the villain from then on. I think avid horror fans will appreciate Alden’s backstory and where his twisted ideology comes from. The concept will definitely play on the minds of people that fear the dentist.” – Rhys Thompson
“Rhys wrote the initial screenplay in lockdown and sent it to some competitions where it made finalist. He brought the idea to me after seeing me on a podcast for another film I’d made, and I thought it was marketable and could do pretty well. I adapted it with him and we changed the setting. I wanted it to be like an ’80s/’90s throwback to those kinds of slasher films. We took a lot of inspiration from Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street.” – Jamie Langlands
The main character and deeply disturbed villain is Alden Pick, The R.I.P. (Rest in Pain) Man.
Think Driller Killer meets Uncle Fester, with a sprinkle of the sadistic Orin Scrivello from Little Shop of Horrors. So when Alden says “Open wide”, you’ll be saying “Aaaargh”.
His name is very unusual and got me thinking—as Alden is like al dente, which is Italian for “to the tooth”, and Pick made me think of extraction or toothpick. Was he named purposely like this?
I thought maybe I was looking too much into it, but had to ask Rhys.
“You are absolutely correct lol. It was a play on words—well spotted. Same as our character Ray Igor Peterson, R.I.P.! I originally had two characters in mind that I wanted to attempt to blend together. Nosferatu’s glide and pale flesh, complemented by the memorable cunning smile of The Ripper from The Last Action Hero.” – Rhys Thompson
In honesty, when Alden appeared I found him quite comedic in the way he acts and the expressions he pulls. He made me giggle rather than feel afraid, though he is a mental patient with issues since birth—so I think he is meant to be both crazy and almost childlike.
“Rhys created the character, which was meant to be more comical, and the first image he sent to me of R.I.P. Man was a cartoon. As we started filming, we changed a lot of the script to make the character less comedic than he was originally. We added tension, atmosphere—made it a crime thriller—and more authentic than this big, comedic, lavish kind of campy character. I brought it down when I was directing the film to make it more true to life.” – Jamie Langlands
The clockwork chattering teeth toys were a fun, unexpected surprise that aptly became Alden’s signature calling card to lure victims to their demise.
He is also fascinated by an ancient clan called The Dentes, who were said to murder people and take their teeth as souvenirs—an idea I thought was brilliant to add to his story.
I was super intrigued by this and keen to look into it, being a paranormal and folkloric researcher. I knew there were cultures around the world that partake in these kinds of ritualistic practices for rites of passage, mourning, or general traditions, and wanted to know if there was a particular tribe that inspired it.
“The Dentes clan were made up, but I did draw inspiration from a Papua New Guinea tribe that would extract a singular tooth to prevent them from being cursed and to protect them from any illness.
The idea for the wind-up chattering teeth came from two places. Firstly, being a millennial, I can vividly remember playing with these diminutive toys as a child and breaking several of them in the process. The other was from a short story by Stephen King titled Chattery Teeth, which features in an anthology called Quicksilver Highway.
Just like Hansel and Gretel follow the breadcrumbs, The R.I.P. Man’s victims are lured in by the sound of chattering teeth.” – Rhys Thompson
The actual film has impressive, lurid visuals and opens straight into a stalker-esque scene in a great setting that quickly turns gory, giving a taster of what’s to come.
I noticed and liked that a lot of the camera shots in the scene were reflective—with creepy lights and things appearing in glass, windows, and mirrors—and wondered if that was like a dentist’s mirror tool that is moved around to reflect light into dark corners to detect hidden issues.
There were some unexpected ghastly extras in Alden’s lair, and you really get to feel his sadistic self.
However, I would have liked more of a build-up of anticipation prior to the victim reaching it.
The ruin location was a really nice-looking scene with plenty of bloodiness, and we get a revealing image of Alden’s aesthetic problem.
The mouth and extraction shots are effective and squeamish—I just wish there had been more.
His glimpses of flashbacks tell parts of the story, so you are, with bated breath, teased with bits of it as you go along.
I couldn’t help but feel the student scenes were a little drab, and some of the actors’ reactions seemed tame in the potentially fatal scenarios they were stuck in.
I would have expected lots of screams and more of a fight—especially in the end finale.
There is, however, an unexpected twist (no spoilers!) that will—let’s just say—lead us to a second film.
I hope they go bigger and more frightening with it, as the concept’s wonderful and could be made into something very exciting.
The R.I.P. Man is available in the UK and US to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play and YouTube Movies, and on Apple TV and Amazon in Australia and Europe.
Find out more on The R.I.P. Man 2025 website
