‘Fractured’ – a proper thriller that’ll make you double-check the streets of Brighton late at night…

Brighton-based independent film company Jump Start Productions are enjoying well-earned success with their latest indie horror/thriller Fractured. Title’s Gemma faced her fears and went along to see if she could get through the whole film without hiding behind the sofa…

Written by Christian J Hearn and directed by award-winning filmmaker Jamie Patterson, Fractured has already won 10 awards to date, including a record-breaking six at the British Horror Film Festival.

I’m honestly not a huge fan of horror films so for me to be asked to go and check this out was a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we work very closely with producer Ian Lucas and we love him to bits – on the other hand… well I’m a total wimp when it comes to this stuff and I had visions of having nightmares for weeks.

Ian promised to look after me though, so I put on my bravest mascara and did the noble deed! And honestly – I’m really glad I did…

So, who’s in it?
There’s definitely some familiar faces you’re going to recognise. Fans of Eastenders will recognise Louisa Lytton who has just returned to the soap as Ruby Allen. Louisa is joined by Emmerdale’s Karl Davies and April Pearson, best known for playing Michelle in E4’s hit series Skins, and there’s Jordan Metcalfe and Calvin Dean in supporting roles.

What’s it about?
A young couple on a weekend away reach their holiday home and quickly realise that despite the remote location, they are definitely not alone…

That’s all we’re giving away in terms of plot, there’s a massive twist and if we give it away you won’t need to watch it (and we think you should) but it’s pretty gripping! The tension definitely built; I felt uneasy throughout and might even admit to jumping out of my seat and grabbing the nearest person more than once, so as it’s billed as a horror/thriller it definitely did the job.

I was impressed by the quality of the production too, even though it’s an independent film with budgetry restrictions; don’t expect to see any shaky camera work in this. We were lucky enough to be invited to a Q&A session after the film, and heard that it was a challenging film to shoot, as director Jamie explained after the screening.

As it was shot during the summer and set entirely at night, the window of opportunity for filming in the dark was both short, and late. It’s also noteworthy that this wasn’t shot on location in a custom-built set optimised for camera angles, but in an Airbnb house just outside Brighton!

Fractured is available for viewing now on Amazon Prime and we recommend you add this to your Halloween viewing list (it’s not one for the kids – or at least not whilst you’re looking).

The cast and crew were keen to stress the importance of positive reviews for visibility so if you enjoy it, do support a local indie film company and give them some social props – it all helps to support an independent industry, and we love people who get out there and do stuff without the yes-men.

Even if it is the sort of stuff that makes you look over your shoulder as you walk to your car alone in the dark…

Face the trailer?

What the critics are saying

“Reminiscent of John Carpenter’s Halloween” – Love Horror
“The atmosphere is to die for” – Horror Freak News
“A sophisticated, shining example” – Flickering Myth

For more info check out Jump Start Productions