Karyn Kusama to Direct Film Adaptation of Sci-Fi Horror Game 'Mouthwashing' for Sony

Mouthwashing is a tough game to recommend without a warning or five. What starts as a story about a spaceship crew stranded after a crash becomes something far more upsetting as the game reveals how they got there. It’s bleak, grotesque, and sometimes difficult to sit through, which makes the prospect of a movie adaptation both exciting and a little concerning.

The right director could do something particularly nasty with its five characters and claustrophobic setting. So much depends on what they’re willing to admit about themselves and each other, and the story needs someone who can make a conversation feel as threatening as anything lurking down a dark corridor. Fortunately, the filmmaker taking this one on has already made The Invitation.

According to new reports, Sony Pictures has acquired the movie rights to Mouthwashing, with Karyn Kusama attached to direct. Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi are writing the screenplay, bringing the trio behind The Invitation and Destroyer back together. Scott Derrickson, whose horror credits include Sinister and The Black Phone, will produce alongside C. Robert Cargill and Vince Cheng through Crooked Highway.