‘Grin’ Plays a Demonic Game at Its FrightFest World Premiere

In Grin, family secrets become considerably harder to keep when the punishment for hiding them is supernatural. The new British horror film from The Jack in the Box filmmaker Lawrence Fowler will receive its world premiere tomorrow as part of Tubi FrightFest’s opening night in London. At the centre of the film is an apparently harmless board game, although the rules soon prove to have consequences far beyond losing a few pieces around the table.

Written and directed by Fowler, Grin follows a family introduced to a mysterious game by their mother’s new partner. The evening begins innocently enough before the game releases Grin, a demonic presence with a particular interest in people harbouring dark secrets.

Its victims are confronted with their hidden sins one at a time, with the severity of Grin’s punishment determined by what each player has done. The premise gives Fowler a contained supernatural set-up built around guilt and concealment, while also providing the practical effects-driven approach that has become a recurring part of Fowler Media’s horror output.

‘We can’t wait to show the FrightFest audiences a really impactful film that focuses on practical effects, a strong emotional core and lots of twists and turns!’ Fowler said ahead of the premiere.

The Welsh filmmaker has spent much of his feature career working within independent British horror. His previous credits include Curse of the Witch’s Doll, The Ghost Within and 2025’s Rob1n, but he is particularly associated with the Jack in the Box films. The first, The Jack in the Box, was released in 2019, followed by The Jack in the Box: Awakening and The Jack in the Box Rises. The original film also picked up the Best Feature award at the British Horror Film Festival.

Gareth Tidball and Leona Clarke are among the film’s cast. Tidball’s previous genre work includes Obstacle Corpse, Casting Kill and anthology Return to the Theatre of Terror, while Clarke’s screen credits include Faith and the 2017 adaptation of An Inspector Calls.

Grin arrives at FrightFest with its commercial future already beginning to take shape. The film has secured distribution across several territories, including a forthcoming US release through Cineverse, with further international theatrical distribution also confirmed.

For UK audiences, however, the first roll of the dice comes in Leicester Square. Grin receives its world premiere at Tubi FrightFest in London on Thursday 27 August 2026. Get your tickets now from: Frightfest.co.uk/