When three teenagers sneak into an abandoned carnival in search of one unforgettable summer adventure, they discover a hidden roller coaster that descends into the Underworld, where each must confront the guilt, grief, and family secrets that define them before Hell claims them forever.

SYNOPSIS:

Seventeen-year-old Jason Salvatore has spent his entire life trying to escape the shadow of his father, a powerful and feared crime boss who has hidden the truth of his empire behind the façade of a legitimate business. Desperate to prove he is more than the legacy he inherited, Jason convinces his best friends—cautious overachiever Ethan Reynolds and wisecracking Danny Reyes—to explore the long-abandoned Carnival of Wonders on the outskirts of town.

What begins as a harmless act of teenage rebellion turns into a nightmare when the boys discover a hidden attraction known only as the Ride to Hell. Deep beneath the abandoned carnival lies a forgotten gateway to the Underworld, a vast and terrifying realm where the lost wander forever and every soul is forced to confront the greatest regret of their life. Trapped in a landscape shaped by guilt, grief, and unfinished business, the boys quickly learn that survival has nothing to do with monsters and everything to do with the truths they have spent their lives avoiding.

As Jason struggles with the fear that he may become his father, Ethan confronts a lifetime of feeling invisible to the parent whose approval he desperately craves, while Danny faces a personal loss he has hidden behind jokes and laughter for years. Above ground, Detective James Reynolds and mob lieutenant Vincent launch a desperate search for the missing boys, forcing lifelong enemies to work together. Along the way, they too are dragged into the Underworld, where each must confront the mistakes and betrayals that continue to haunt them.

As Hell tests every weakness and weaponizes every secret, fathers and sons, friends and enemies, must confront the choices that shaped their lives. To escape, they must do the one thing the Underworld was designed to prevent: forgive themselves. Because in this place, the greatest danger is not damnation—it is surrender.

CARNIVAL combines the coming-of-age heart of Stand By Me with the supernatural terror of It and the emotional depth of The Black Phone, delivering a character-driven horror adventure about friendship, redemption, and the battle for the soul.

CARNIVAL