Director: Chad Ferrin

Cast: Susan Priver, Lew Temple, Ginger Lynn, Brinke Stevens, Ezra Buzzington

Dorothea is a 2025 American horror-thriller directed by Chad Ferrin, based on the real-life crimes of Dorothea Puente, one of America's most chilling serial killers. Running 91 minutes, this crime-horror film examines how calculated cruelty can hide behind a warm and neighborly facade.

What is Dorothea about?

At the center of this dark story is Dorothea Puente, an elderly woman who operates a boarding house in Sacramento, California. She presents herself as a caretaker, offering shelter and meals to society's most vulnerable — the elderly, the mentally ill, the homeless. But beneath her hospitable surface lies a calculated predator. Dorothea systematically poisons her boarders, collects their social security checks, and conceals the evidence of her crimes by burying the bodies in her backyard. As the truth begins to surface through a web of suspicion and investigation, the horror is not the monster lurking in shadows — it is the kindly neighbor everyone trusted.

Cast & crew

Director Chad Ferrin brings his experience in independent horror to this unsettling true-crime dramatization. The cast includes Susan Priver and Lew Temple in prominent roles, joined by cult horror veterans Ginger Lynn, Brinke Stevens, Cassandra Gava, and Ezra Buzzington. William Salyers and Cyril O'Reilly round out an ensemble that leans into the film's dark, atmospheric tone.

Context & significance

For Persian-speaking viewers in the diaspora, Dorothea offers something particularly gripping: a horror story rooted not in supernatural forces but in the very real betrayal of social trust. The boarding house setting — a space meant to offer dignity and safety to the vulnerable — becomes a stage for something monstrous. Iranian diaspora audiences who appreciate slow-burn psychological horror and true-crime narratives will find this film rewarding. The film is available on K-Time with a Persian dub as well as Persian subtitles, meaning viewers can follow every chilling moment in their preferred language without friction.

Where & how to watch

Dorothea is available on K-Time with both Persian dub and Persian subtitles. Watch on the web, your TV, or your phone — no VPN needed, no extra download required, and no geo-blocking. Start watching right away and cancel anytime.