dir. James Owen

Down-and-out criminal Nina (Shian Denovan) is thrown onto the streets after her girlfriend Yaz’s (Nansi Nsue) scheme goes awry. Left out in the rain with nowhere to go she hails down passing driver Beryl (Annabelle Lanyon), a seemingly kindly widow who offers her a place to stay.

After a strange and unnerving night in her home, Nina returns to Yaz only for the duo to end up on the run with crime boss Roman (Jack Loy) hot on their heels. With no other option Nina returns to Beryl’s house with the intention of stealing from her… but when Beryl’s family come out of the woodwork the horrors that lurk within the home become clear.

Whilst Bite’s plot is nothing new strong central performances and unique storytelling bring things up a notch. Denovan and Nsue in particular shine, while Lanyon stands out as a sickly-sweet villain to make your spine tingle.

Though grim from start to finish – from subject matter to the dank scenery and gloomy lighting – the dark humour offsets whilst the gore ramps up exponentially, with some truly teeth-gritting scenes that add a disturbing frisson.

If the packed narrative is sometimes muddled then all the threads are tied up by a heart-racing finale. And though Bite tells a story we’ve all likely seen before it provides a fresh, warped take that makes it overwhelmingly fun.

© Becci Sayce

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