Editorial · Article
No Rest for the Wicked (2026): US Release Date, Where to Watch, and the Faroe Islands Vampire Film
Best Director, Fantasia 2026 · US premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026 · Directed by Kasper Kalle · Starring Egor Venned and Pilou Asbæk
By Alan Willey ·
No Rest for the Wicked is a Danish vampire film set in the Faroe Islands in 1862. Kasper Kalle directed it. Egor Venned and Pilou Asbæk star.
It had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal on July 22, 2026. Kalle won Best Director in Fantasia's Cheval Noir competition, Pilou Asbæk won an Outstanding Performance Award in the same competition, and the film won the festival's Silver Audience Award for international features. Its US premiere was at Fantastic Fest in Austin in September 2026. It opened in Danish cinemas on September 3, 2026.
It has no US distributor and no US release date yet.
When No Rest for the Wicked comes out in the US
There is no US release date. As of September 26, 2026 the film has no US distributor. Coverage of the Fantastic Fest screening said a US distributor would be announced in the coming weeks.
It opened in Danish cinemas on September 3, 2026, through SF Studios. Charades, a Paris company, handles international sales.
It is not on Netflix, Shudder, Hulu, Prime Video or any other US service, and it cannot be rented or bought. This page and the film page will be updated when a US release is announced.
What it is about
Baldur (Egor Venned) is a young fisherman in the Faroe Islands in 1862. Helge (Pilou Asbæk), a whaler, saves him from drowning, and the two begin a romance they have to hide from their devout community.
It is a vampire film. Its sales material describes it as a gothic romance that reworks vampire folklore, with elements of folk horror.
The dialogue is in Danish and Faroese, with English subtitles.
The book behind it
The film is loosely based on Manor, an 1884 story by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, a German writer who campaigned for gay rights in the 19th century. Manor is a vampire story about love between two men. Rasmus Birch wrote the screenplay.
Is it scary?
It has no Watch Darkly score yet. Scores are published only after a film has been watched.
It has no MPA rating, since it has no US release. Reviews so far describe it first as a romance and a drama, with supernatural elements.
What the reviews said
Variety's review was headlined "An Atmospheric Supernatural Gay Drama." Screen Daily called it an atmospheric Danish queer drama that makes the most of its 1860s Faroe Islands setting. Cinapse's review from Fantastic Fest called it a stunning supernatural queer romance.
Who made it
SF Studios produced it in association with the Danish Film Institute, with the Faroese company Outlier Projects and the Icelandic company Truenorth as co-producers. It was shot on location in the Faroe Islands in summer 2024.
Egor Venned plays Baldur and Pilou Asbæk plays Helge. Asbæk is known for Game of Thrones and A War. Sofia Nolsøe Mikkelsen, Kjartan Hansen and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson are also in the cast.
Related films on Watch Darkly
Let the Right One In(2008)
A Scandinavian vampire film adapted from a book, built around a relationship that has to be kept secret.
Interview with the Vampire(1994)
A period vampire film, adapted from Anne Rice's novel, about a bond between two men.
The Witch(2015)
A period folk horror film about a devout, isolated community.
Near Dark(1987)
A vampire film that is also a love story.
Common questions
- When does No Rest for the Wicked come out in the US?
- It has no US release date. As of September 26, 2026 it has no US distributor, and its only US screening has been at Fantastic Fest in Austin in September 2026.
- Where can I watch No Rest for the Wicked?
- Nowhere in the US yet. It is not on any US streaming service and cannot be rented or bought. In the US it has screened only at Fantastic Fest. It opened in Danish cinemas on September 3, 2026.
- Is No Rest for the Wicked a vampire movie?
- Yes. It is a gothic romance set in the Faroe Islands in 1862 that uses vampire folklore.
- Is No Rest for the Wicked based on a book?
- Yes, loosely. It is based on Manor, an 1884 story by the German writer Karl Heinrich Ulrichs.
- What language is No Rest for the Wicked in?
- Danish and Faroese, with English subtitles.
- Who is in No Rest for the Wicked?
- Egor Venned plays Baldur and Pilou Asbæk plays Helge. Sofia Nolsøe Mikkelsen, Kjartan Hansen and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson are also in the cast.
- Did No Rest for the Wicked win any awards?
- Yes. At Fantasia 2026, Kasper Kalle won Best Director in the Cheval Noir competition, Pilou Asbæk won an Outstanding Performance Award in the same competition, and the film won the Silver Audience Award for international features.