UK indie production company Drop Dead Films is preparing to launch Charlie Shaw’s Revenge, a psychologically driven thriller-horror that places character and narrative tension at the centre of its scares.
Written and directed by John Langridge and produced by Renato Pires and Justin Hayward, the film follows a group of workers tasked with preparing a struggling adventure park for reopening. What begins as routine maintenance and rehearsal quickly escalates into a fight for survival when they realise they are being stalked by a silent killer, with no clear means of escape.
Rather than leaning into overt spectacle, Charlie Shaw’s Revenge builds suspense through character psychology, fractured group dynamics and escalating moral pressure, drawing on classic survival horror structures while grounding the story in contemporary emotional realism.
“This was always a film about people before it was about horror,” says Langridge. “We were interested in how fear changes behaviour – how quickly trust breaks down, how people react when they realise they’re trapped, and how survival forces difficult choices. The horror comes from watching those pressures play out.”
At the centre of the story is Marion, played by Cerys Knighton (Charlotte: The Movie), the newly appointed manager. As tensions rise, Marion is forced into an unexpected leadership role, navigating fear, doubt, resistance and responsibility as the situation spirals out of control.
The film’s antagonist, Otto the Clown, is portrayed by James Payton (Wednesday) in a largely silent performance that relies on physicality and restraint rather than dialogue. Otto functions less as a conventional slasher figure and more as an omnipresent threat, shaping the psychological atmosphere of the film as much as its body count.
The ensemble cast includes Bill Fellows (Ted Lasso), Mark Benton (Anna and the Apocalypse), John Locke (Poor Things), alongside rising talents Shahla Ayamah, Amelie Leroy, Billy Cashin, Molly Cattanach, Keri Martin, and Aaliyah-Monroe Pires. As alliances shift and secrets surface, the film places equal weight on interpersonal conflict and external danger.
Producer Renato Pires, who also appears in the film, describes the project as “a pressure-cooker survival story.”
“The killer is only part of the threat,” says Pires. “The real tension comes from being trapped with people you don’t fully trust, when every decision has consequences. That’s where the drama and the fear really live.”
Charlie Shaw’s Revenge was shot on location at the East Sussex School of Circus Arts and Knockhatch Adventure Park, a 65-acre site that had not previously been used for a feature film. While the production took advantage of the scale and isolation of the setting, Langridge notes that the location was always in service of story and character.
“The environment amplifies what the characters are going through,” he says. “It mirrors their isolation and disorientation, but it never overshadows them. The film lives or dies on the emotional journey of the people trapped inside it.”
The film blends traditional genre appeal with a contemporary indie sensibility, favouring atmosphere, sound design and performance-led tension over excessive gore. This approach positions Charlie Shaw’s Revenge for both core horror audiences and broader thriller markets.
The film is set to have its Industry Screening in London on Friday 13 February 2026, ahead of a planned rollout on major streaming platforms, Drop Dead Films has also confirmed a book adaptation is in development for 2026, signalling long-term ambitions for the property, this event was kindly sponsored by East Sussex Local Business Olive Pine Accountancy, Pxl Wave Graphics, Switch Plane, Lighting fibre, Gianni’s Restaurant, Knockhatch Adventure park and Acting Moon Events.
With Charlie Shaw’s Revenge, Drop Dead Films continues to build a slate focused on story-first genre filmmaking, aiming to deliver commercially viable horror rooted in character, performance and craft.
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