Movie of the Week
‘The Trek’ crosses into Kalahari horror
A new South African movie follows an 1846 expedition stalked by desert spirits as hunger and mistrust threaten the group.
The Trek, a new South African horror-western set in 1846, follows a Dutch-Afrikaans family on a perilous journey across the Kalahari Desert.
Although it is set during the time of the Great Trek, the migration of thousands of Dutch-speaking settlers known as Voortrekkers from the Cape Colony into the interior of southern Africa, it is not explicitly about the event.
The movie is screening in Ster-Kinekor cinemas from today (31 July 2026). A North American premiere is scheduled for 16 August as an official selection of Scary Movies XIV at Film at Lincoln Centre.
Hunger, thirst and exhaustion begin to undermine the expedition as suspicion spreads among the travellers. The stranded family and their British benefactor eventually accept help from Atshumao, a mysterious man from one of southern Africa’s indigenous Khoen communities.
A supernatural threat adds to the dangers of the crossing. Two shapeshifting spirits place a deadly wager on the travellers’ lives, while an unseen presence follows the group, as mistrust develops into paranoia.
The film combines historical realism with Southern African folktale. The story uses the hostile landscape and growing conflict within the party to examine violence and moral decline on the colonial frontier.
Morné Visser plays Karel Uys, with Trix Vivier as Jakoba Uys and Leah Lindeque as Karolina Uys, in the lead roles. Maurice Carpede portrays Atshumao, while Rob van Vuuren plays the family’s British benefactor, Henry Blake.
Meekaaeel Adam directs the film, with James C Williamson, J Hannah Massyn and Sandulela Asanda credited as writers. Collin “The Bushman” Meyer acts as a culture advisor for the production. The Cape Town-based musician, storyteller and cultural facilitator draws on his work exploring Khoi heritage, history, identity and language through performance and community workshops.
The Trek premiered at the Fantasporto International Film Festival in Portugal earlier this year (March 2026), where the film received the Jury’s Special Award. Adam became the first South African filmmaker to compete at Fantasporto during the festival’s 45-year run.
The Trek screened as the closing-night gala film at the 2026 Joburg Film Festival. At the separate Fantaspoa International Film Festival in Brazil, Adam won Best Cinematography.
