The Special (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

The Special is a 12-minute British horror short following Beatrice after an abusive relationship. When she meets her ex at a mysterious pop-up restaurant serving “The Special,” an attempt at closure takes an unsettling turn as fear and appetite begin to collide.

The Special is a 2026 horror short from the United Kingdom, written and directed by Stéph Kuypers. The film centers on Beatrice, who is trying to move forward after leaving an abusive relationship.

Her effort to find closure leads her to a new pop-up restaurant and an encounter with her ex. With a mysterious dish at the center of the meeting, The Special frames a personal confrontation through the conventions of horror and revenge.

The Special movie details

Story without spoilers

Beatrice has recently escaped an abusive relationship and agrees to meet her ex at a new pop-up serving a dish called “The Special.” What begins as an attempt to achieve closure becomes increasingly disturbing when the restaurant proves less ordinary than it first appears. Beatrice must confront her fears as her appetite takes on a troubling significance.

What to expect

As a 12-minute horror short, The Special presents a compact premise built around revenge, an unsettling food-related setting and a woman facing the aftermath of abuse. Its listed feminist-horror and independent-film classifications suggest a focused genre story rather than an expansive narrative. The supplied synopsis establishes tension and disturbing implications without revealing how the encounter concludes.

Cast and creative team

Hannah Morley stars as Beatrice, with Aaron Phinehas Peters as the Waiter and Anna Wati as Alex. Jack Holton plays Nick, Kara Chamberlain plays Jenny, and Suzanne Ahmet plays the Chef. Stéph Kuypers wrote and directed the film.

• Hannah Morley as Beatrice
• Aaron Phinehas Peters as Waiter
• Anna Wati as Alex
• Jack Holton as Nick
• Kara Chamberlain as Jenny
• Suzanne Ahmet as Chef

Release and production context

The Special is a 2026 production from the United Kingdom, made in English by Cygnet Films Entertainment. It has a runtime of 12 minutes and is classified as a horror short. The supplied release date is October 9, 2026, while its listed status is Released.

Production companies: Cygnet Films Entertainment

Reported production figures:
Budget $4,500

The Special official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

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With its brief runtime and tightly defined setup, The Special is centered on a single disturbing encounter rather than a broad world or extended backstory. Its combination of abusive-relationship aftermath, revenge, a pop-up restaurant and feminist-horror framing gives the short a clear thematic and genre identity without disclosing its final outcome.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb