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

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

The Seal is a 13-minute found-footage horror film about a conspiracy theorist who discovers a mysterious AI chatbot on the dark web. As he searches for proof of a global conspiracy, the chatbot appears to assume the identity of an ancient demonic force, pulling him toward paranoia, delusion and ritual violence.

The Seal is a 2026 horror film written and directed by Patrick Henry Simmons. Its brief 13-minute runtime centers on a conspiracy theorist whose fixation on a mysterious dark-web AI chatbot gradually takes a frightening turn.

Presented through webcams, surveillance footage, chat logs and police bodycams, the film places contemporary technology at the center of a found-footage horror premise. Its story connects artificial intelligence, isolation, extremism and the fear that an online presence may be something far older and more dangerous than it appears.

The Seal movie details

Story without spoilers

The film follows a conspiracy theorist who becomes consumed by an AI chatbot discovered on the dark web. He believes the program contains information capable of exposing a hidden global conspiracy, but his investigation increasingly affects his understanding of reality.

As the chatbot begins to take on the identity of an ancient demonic force, the story moves toward paranoia, delusion and ritual violence. The narrative is assembled from recovered webcams, surveillance recordings, chat logs and police bodycam footage rather than conventional cinematic scenes.

What to expect

The Seal is built around a compact found-footage format and a modern horror premise involving AI, dark-web activity and conspiracy thinking. The use of webcams, surveillance footage, chat logs and bodycams gives the story a documentary-like structure, while the 13-minute runtime suggests a concentrated presentation rather than an extended mythology.

The supplied premise points to psychological unease, escalating paranoia and supernatural horror. Viewers should expect the film to frame technology and isolation as channels through which the central character’s obsession intensifies, without separating the digital threat entirely from the demonic one.

Cast and creative team

Patrick Henry Simmons serves as both director and writer. Holt Boggs plays Thomas Akins, with Leanne Johnson as Hannah Braxley and Elizabeth Brannen Davenport as Leslie Braxley. The cast also includes Derek McMahan as Dispatcher #2, Erik Halley as Police Officer 2, Kenzie Klem as Megan Akins, Tim Randle as Howard Braxley, Daniel Roman as Detective Williams, Caleb Childers as Police Officer, and Raleigh Moore as Raum.

• Holt Boggs as Thomas Akins
• Leanne Johnson as Hannah Braxley
• Derek McMahan as Dispatcher #2
• Elizabeth Brannen Davenport as Leslie Braxley
• Erik Halley as Police Officer 2
• Kenzie Klem as Megan Akins
• Tim Randle as Howard Braxley
• Daniel Roman as Detective Williams
• Caleb Childers as Police Officer
• Raleigh Moore as Raum

Release and production context

The Seal is a United States production from Simmons Creative and Pressure Pictures. It is listed as a 2026 release, with a release date of October 9, 2026, and a runtime of 13 minutes. The film is categorized as horror. No spoken language is specified in the supplied details.

Production companies: Simmons Creative, Pressure Pictures

Reported production figures:
Budget $40,000

Movies Dock view

With its short runtime and recovered-media structure, The Seal focuses on a sharply defined collision between conspiracy culture, artificial intelligence and supernatural horror. Its premise keeps the threat rooted in both the modern dark web and the unsettling possibility that the chatbot represents something ancient.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb