First Look at ‘Death Among the Pines’ Reveals Stormy Secrets and Fear

The team behind gothic chiller The Baby in the Basket is swapping candlelight for countryside suspense with their new film Death Among the Pines, a tense, Hitchcock-inspired mystery set against the brooding beauty of rural Scotland. The first official artwork and stills have been revealed, giving audiences a glimpse of the eerie new thriller ahead of its 2026 release.

Written by Tom Jolliffe and directed by Nathan Shepka, the film promises a gripping story of trust, deception and survival on a storm-lashed night. Nicolette McKeown (Mercy Falls, Damaged) stars as Angela, a woman living quietly in an isolated farmhouse with her husband, played by Olly Bassi (Dick Dynamite: 1944). When her husband is away during a violent storm, Angela answers a knock at the door to find a stranger – Kevin, played by Shepka – claiming his car has broken down. With the phonelines down and no help in sight, she reluctantly lets him in to take shelter.

As the storm rages, another visitor arrives: a police officer, played by Stephen Kerr (The Defender), searching for an escaped fugitive. Alone in the house with two strangers and no means of contact with the outside world, Angela must decide whom to trust as paranoia sets in and secrets begin to surface.

Death Among the Pines reunites the creative team behind 2025’s The Baby in the Basket, a gothic horror that earned strong reviews for its atmospheric visuals and classical approach to terror. Once again, Shepka and Jolliffe share producing duties alongside Flickering Myth’s Gary Collinson, with executive producers Sanatan Kadakia, Kira Reed and Nick Redmond also on board.

Speaking about the project, Jolliffe has described Death Among the Pines as “a love letter to Hitchcock’s mastery of tension and misdirection,” blending old-school suspense with modern indie sensibilities. The production team has cited Psycho and The Lady Vanishes as tonal influences, while the stills reveal an earthy, intimate style, evoking the quiet dread of isolation and the creeping uncertainty of human motives.

McKeown leads the cast in what’s being billed as her most demanding role to date, carrying much of the film’s emotional and psychological weight. Shepka continues to balance his work as both actor and director, building on the success of his previous thrillers Dead Before They Wake and When Darkness Falls.

Shot in Scotland, the production leans into its setting to enhance the story’s mood. The dense forests, torrential rain and a lone farmhouse become characters in themselves, amplifying the claustrophobic tension. With its blend of domestic unease and slow-burn suspense, Death Among the Pines looks set to offer a sharp, atmospheric twist on the classic “stranger at the door” premise.

The trailer for Death Among the Pines will premiere later this year, ahead of the film’s full release in early 2026. We’ll share more news as it comes.