BAGWORM

description

After a sexually frustrated hammer salesman steps on a rusty nail, he must determine whether the world’s sudden and violent turn against him is real or the result of an infection consuming his body and mind.

Carroll’s worldview is dominated by the threat of catastrophe and the decline of morality in the face of human extinction. Then he steps on a rusty nail. He stumbles through the modern world, searching for romance, shedding toxic friendships, and fighting for truth... all while struggling to maintain his deteriorating health and sanity. As his moral crusade edges closer to self-destruction, Carroll is confronted with the ultimate existential question: are we really doomed, or is he just dying of tetanus?

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Sitges 2025
SXSW 2026
Fantaspoa 2026

DIRECTOR'S BIO
Oliver Bernsen is a writer, director, painter, and landscape designer based in Los Angeles. His fascination with the strangeness of our world can be seen throughout his work, prominently in his short films CONNECTIVE TISSUE (2020) and MEMORY BOX (2023), which premiered at Beyond Fest. His feature directorial debut, BAGWORM (2025), premiered and won an Audience Award at Sitges Film Festival.