No horror film is as terrifying as living with domestic abuse.

This is the hard-hitting strapline for a new campaign from domestic abuse charity I Choose Freedom, created by Good Eggs. The campaign, which runs in cinemas during the Halloween season and beyond, has been designed to highlight the fact that life-saving services could disappear within six months unless urgent funding is secured.

Good Eggs is a multi-disciplinary, award-winning collective of creatives, strategists and PR specialists that is focused on creating ideas that do good. 

The 90-second cinematic spot follows an ordinary woman in an ordinary house, taking a quiet moment for herself in a bath of bubbles. But familiar sounds, a creaking door, a floorboard, all interrupt her calm as tension builds in the style of a traditional horror film.

The woman catches her reflection in the bathroom mirror just as a masked figure appears behind her. When the mask is lifted, it’s clear: the threat is someone she knows. To bring to life the everyday horror of domestic violence, she then whispers: “Not tonight, please.”

The campaign draws on the cultural currency of Halloween. Christopher Ringsell, Creative Partner at Good Eggs, explained: “Many people wear masks at Halloween, but perpetrators of domestic abuse wear a mask in society - with the real monster only revealed behind closed doors. We leaned into classic horror tropes and reframed them to show the true fear one in four women live with every day. The aim was to create something that feels cinematic, chilling - and horribly real.”

The spot, created by Good Eggs, produced by MindsEye and directed by Anne-Sofie Lindgaard, will air in advance of horror titles and chillers across the DCM cinema network, including ODEON, Vue, Cineworld and Picturehouse cinemas.

Teresa Parker, Communications Lead at I Choose Freedom, said: “After two decades of working with survivors, I can honestly say there’s no horror film that compares to what women living in fear of their partner describe. The mask in our film reflects the façade many abusers present to the world - respectable, charming, even admired. This time we’re lifting that mask, exposing the truth that’s too often hidden in plain sight.”

Emma Bray, CEO of I Choose Freedom, added: “This Halloween, our biggest fear is that our refuge services won’t exist unless long-term funding becomes a government priority. You can’t halve violence against women, as the government has pledged, if the refuges that keep women alive are forced to close. We’re immensely grateful to the team who brought this powerful campaign to life, and to everyone who shares the film and helps us keep the doors open.”

Founded in 1984, I Choose Freedom is an independent charity providing six-month refuge placements, therapy, advocacy, and practical support to help survivors rebuild their lives. The charity also runs a referral line for survivors, professionals, and family members seeking refuge spaces, open Monday to Friday, 8.30 am–4.30 pm on 0303 330 0033 or via www.ichoosefreedom.co.uk.