The Man in the White Van is a thriller based on true events set in 1970s Florida. It follows a young girl who is stalked by a man in the white van, and her cries for help fall on silent ears. Playing the role of the young girl, Annie, is Madison Wolfe (The Conjuring 2). She is joined by Brec Bassinger (The CW’s Stargirl) as her sister, Ali Larter (Heroes, Landman) as her mom, Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings, Stranger Things) as her dad, Skai Jackson (Jessie) as her friend Patty, and Gavin Warren (Night Swim) as her brother.

The film is a cautionary tale, and Bassinger talks about how being aware is important, especially when living in major cities.

“I feel, first of all, the awareness is, I think as humans, it’s so easy for us to be like, ‘That happens to people, but it could never happen to me,'” Bassinger tells Nerd Reactor. “And so constantly being aware that this is a real thing that happens, and it could happen to you. And then also better safe than sorry. I’ve lived in a lot of major cities by myself, and with that, I’m a small girl, so I feel like I’m always having to be on the lookout. But I’d rather be a little bit suspicious and paranoid and communicate with my friends, or if I’m nervous, call my friend and be on the phone with someone.”

Wolfe is no stranger to horror films with credits including The Conjuring 2 and Malignant. These roles have helped her get into really emotional scenes for The Man in the White Van.

“It’s given me a lot of practice of getting to those really emotionally vulnerable places that you don’t necessarily get a chance to go on a daily basis,” Wolfe said. “Just years of doing that and practicing getting my body physically in that space also, or to reach and match that emotional level, is something that I have learned throughout the years. So yeah, that definitely helped me in the process for this film.”

There have been discussions online about whether The Man in the White Van is more on the horror side or the thriller side. Director Warren Skeels explains why it’s the latter.

“Oh, no, I have seen that,” Skeels recalls about the movie’s description by commenters. “I mean, it’s a thriller, 100% a thriller, but there are horror elements in it. I mean, when you look at Jaws, for example, you know, Jaws is a thriller, but there are horrific elements in it. But at the core, it’s a thriller. Horror, I really think, is something that has a supernatural angle to it, typically in some capacity, or a gore angle to it. I think the fun for me as a director was really playing with the theater of the mind in this and allowing what you don’t see to sort of weigh on you versus what you do see.”

About the Man in the White Van

Synopsis: Based on true events. In 1975 Florida, a series of violent disappearances go unnoticed, and young Annie (Madison Wolfe) is targeted by an ominous white van that stalks her every move. As the menace escalates, her parents dismiss her fears, and Annie is soon plunged into a terrifying nightmare that shatters her world.

The film is directed by Warren Skeels and written by Skeels & Sharon Y. Cobb. It stars Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Goonies), Ali Larter (Final Destination, Taylor Sheridan’s Landman), Madison Wolfe (The Conjuring 2, Malignant), Brec Bassinger (CW’s Stargirl, Final Destination: Bloodlines), Skai Jackson (Disney’s Jessie and spinoff Bunk’d) and Gavin Warren (Night Swim).

The Man in the White Van was released in theaters on December 13, 2024.