Jitters (2026) Review
From Aptitude, the film is written by George Willcox with Marc Zammit (Witch) as director and producer, James Fuller and Richard Oakes co-produce with lead actor Fabrizio Santino (Captain America: The First Avenger, Hollyoaks), who plays the world-weary Detective Collymore. Anto Sharp (Witch) plays Detective Harding, Daniel Jordan (Palindrome) stars as Jitters and are joined by Boo Miller (Bridgerton, The Stand-Up Sketch Show), Jess Impiazzi (Keep Calm & Carry On, Celebrity Big Brother), Lauren Budd (Cinderella’s Curse), Richard Wisker (Flatmates, The Dumping Ground) Ritchi Edwards (Witch, Werwulf) and Chloe Hews (Jinx).
Long in the game Detective Collymore (Santino) thought he’d seen it all, a single father who is haunted by his own failings, he puts his all into his work. But when he’s called in to investigate what appears to be a routine case: the sudden, unexplained death of a young woman, that’s been officially ruled as “natural causes”, the detective soon finds himself faced with his strangest, most complicated case yet and is pulled deep into something truly sinister.
The complex investigation takes him not only to the dark recesses of the internet, but to the depths of his inner soul, with all clues leading to a darkly disturbing video game… Jitters – an under the radar simulation, that’s being whispered about online. But this is anything but child’s play, as the sadistic challenge weaponizes the one thing no one can truly escape: their deepest fears.
As Collymore is drawn deeper into the depths of an unknown online world, he soon learns that Jitters isn’t just depraved, it’s deadly… The only way he can survive and save his family, is to not only face the horrors coded into the system, but the darkness within himself.
Jitters starts promisingly, suggesting an intriguing horror concept, but it ultimately collapses under the weight of its own unfocused ambitions. The dialogue scenes suffer from uneven pacing, often feeling either too static or overly indulgent, and by the film’s conclusion there is a sense that numerous ideas have been thrown at the screen without any meaningful structure to support them.
The film recalls elements of Wes Craven’s work, particularly Shocker and A Nightmare on Elm Street. In those films, evil infiltrates everyday vulnerabilities—electrical systems and dreams—inescapable aspects of modern life. In contrast, Jitters centres on a memory stick that transports users into a nightmarish netherworld when inserted into a computer. Unlike dreams or household electronics, however, this is something that can easily be avoided, and the film fails to convincingly explain why anyone would become so quickly addicted to the app.
This is the script’s greatest weakness. It bypasses the crucial task of establishing believable motivation, leaving the viewer disconnected and unconvinced. Without understanding why the characters are drawn to the app, the horror loses its psychological grip.
Throughout, there is a noticeable urgency to cram in as many ideas as possible, but little care is taken to develop them properly. For any horror concept to resonate, time must be invested in making its premise believable and its stakes meaningful. Unfortunately, Jitters neglects this essential groundwork, and as a result, it fails to fully engage or persuade.
Jitters arrives on UK digital 16 March 2026 from Miracle Media and on US digital 17 March 2026