It’s a very good week to be a Mouthwashing fan — or a very bad one, depending on how you feel about horror. Wrong Organ’s acclaimed indie horror game is finally available on consoles: as of October 29, Mouthwashing is out on PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S, and it has joined Xbox Game Pass on day one — with a 40% discount currently live on Steam. And in case that wasn’t enough, Sony Pictures has spent the same week locking down the rights to turn it into a feature film.
One of 2024’s Best Horror Games, Now on Your TV Stand
Mouthwashing earned massive critical and consumer acclaim when it launched on PC in 2024, swinging far higher than the small team at Wrong Organ ever expected. It’s a first-person horror adventure set aboard the Tulpar, a commercial space freighter carrying unknown cargo on a year-long mission — and its dramatic opening scene comes stamped “0 days before the crash.” From there it builds a baseline of dread that never really lifts. Eurogamer, reviewing the console port, calls it “a masterfully crafted discomfort simulator”: there are barely any jumpscares, and the horror instead comes from claustrophobic environmental design, strong audio work, a disorientating non-chronological structure, and the psychological disintegration of the five-strong crew — with sparse, unglorified violence that often makes you an active participant. Their verdict: an easy recommendation, and “a different sort of horror this Halloween.”
Sony’s Mouthwashing Movie Is Real
The adaptation news, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, is as star-studded as indie-horror news gets. Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired the film rights from developer Wrong Organ, with Karyn Kusama — the director of Jennifer’s Body and The Invitation — attached to direct. The screenplay comes from Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, the writers behind The Invitation (who’ve worked with Kusama before), and Scott Derrickson, the director of The Black Phone and Sinister, will produce. Word of a Mouthwashing adaptation has reportedly floated around the industry for months, and DualShockers notes that the writers’ previous collaboration with Kusama — a psychological thriller largely confined to one small space — makes them a near-perfect fit for the Tulpar’s cramped corridors. There’s no release date yet.
Why Sony Is Betting on It
Sony is likely hoping the combination of horror talent and hit video game IP can repeat the success it saw with Resident Evil — Zach Cregger’s adaptation of Capcom’s series was both a critical hit and a financial success (we covered the reviews here). Mouthwashing is a very different proposition: more grounded, heavier, and full of surreal imagery, but its themes and its unforgettable cast make it exactly the kind of cult favourite that translates well to film. And if you’d rather experience the story before Hollywood gets its hands on it, there’s never been an easier time to play.