★★★ out of ★★★★★
Intensity 🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Directed by Noah Stratton-Twine and Jake Kuhn
If Guy Maddin and Roger Corman collaborated on a British comedy sketch about ghostly folk tales, filmmaking, and the creative process, it might look something like The Peril at Pincer Point — but then again, it absolutely might not . . .
Official synopsis
Jim Baitte, a layabout sound designer desperate to prove himself, is working on a new horror flick from the tyrannical yet lauded b-movie director P.W. Griffin. Accused of lacking vision and creative courage, Jim is sent to the remote island where the film was shot to capture a sound powerful enough to elevate the film’s finale. Once there, eerie local fables surface: for years, ambitious and headstrong youth have lost their souls to a ghostly sea captain for his spectral crew. As Jim entangles himself further into the bizarre locals, scenery, and prophecy, he can’t help but ponder the ever-confirming legend, and if recording it might just cost him more than his career.
Review
The Peril at Pincer Point (U.K., 2026) may not be a horror film, but it is definitely a film for horror cinema aficionados. Cowriters/codirectors Noah Stratton-Twine and Jake Kuhn craft a British comedy that deals in the absurd and the surreal, blending folk horror and ghost story elements in a style that reminded me of such Guy Maddin works as Tales from the Gimli Hospital and The Forbidden Room. The closing credits pay tribute to B-movie legend Roger Corman, and there are plenty of nods to his work here.
Film sound recordist Jim (Jack Redmayne) tried to get by with simply using stock sound for dictatorial director P.W. Griffin’s (Os Leanse) current horror film. On the verge of losing his job, Jim takes Griffin up on his offer to go to the remote island of Pincer Point to capture a sound that will be unique to the movie, and also to record the mellifluous voice of island resident Marina (Alyth Ross). As fate would have it, Marina has been missing for some weeks and the locals assume she is now aboard a ghost ship that captures the island’s young adults. The island residents are also wary of the crab claw marks on Jim’s hand, which he strangely received in his previously crab-free London flat.
Shot in sepia-toned monochrome by Cinematographer Murray Zev Cohen, The Peril at Pincer Point has an authentic vibe of cinema of the past. Jim isn’t the type of protagonist that viewers will easily get behind and other characters come and go during his travels, but the filmmaking and performances are earnest. Ross in particular gives an outstanding performance as her character discusses the legend of the ghost ship.
Conclusion
Winner of SXSW’s NEON Auteur Award, The Peril at Pincer Point is the type of movie for which genre film festivals are made. The humor won’t work for everyone, but the spirit behind the production is strong. This is a film that most genre cinephiles will watch with a big smile.
The Peril at Pincers Point had its world premiere at SXSW’s 2026 edition, which runs March 12–18 in Austin, Texas.
Review by Joseph Perry
