UK, 1 hr 40 mins, Directed by Aled Owen

Four girls enter an abandoned factory to retrieve stolen money. Locked inside and hunted, the secret that binds them will be what tears them apart.

“This town is haunted. Not by ghosts. By ghost stories.”

The Mill Killers (originally reviewed as Scopophobia) is an absolute rollercoaster of a film, with tension aplenty. Friends Rhiannon, Mia, Sam and Erin return home to their small Valleys town, haunted by their past. A secret keeps their friendship going, but resentment bubbles under the surface.

I really enjoyed this movie, which will definitely need a rewatch as it’s fast-paced and exciting and my slow goblin brain probably missed loads. It’s a stunning film, with giallo-inspired use of colour and really lovely cinematography.

The cast were fantastic and were a real, believable group of friends. I loved that the main characters are all women and the film captured how toxic friendships can implode. Flawed characters are always really interesting and the performances made it feel like these girls really have gone through a lot together.

The chemistry between lead actress Catrin Jones and writer/director/producer/casting director and actor (impressive!) Aled Owen was palpable. Rhiannon suffers with Scopophobia, the fear of being stared at, and the anxiety and panic attacks were incredibly stressful and tense. As someone who has had panic attacks most of their life, I thought Catrin Jones did a brilliant job of portraying someone in the clutches of a panic attack and I still feel very stressed now!

There is some excellent SFX work and much more blood and gore than I expected. Always a nice surprise! The soundtrack is also great, with original songs from Welsh singer/songwriter GG Fearn. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Aled does next and what Welsh horror has in store for us.