'Jitters' Review: A Promising Horror Concept Lost in a Glitchy, Cliché-Filled Execution
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Jack Ransom - March 20, 2026
Jitters sees Detective Collymore (Fabrizio Santino) a single divorced father, stumble upon a mysterious case involving the death of Tiffany (Jessica Impiazzi), initially deemed natural. Digging deeper, he discovers the horrors of Jitters (Daniel Jordan).
Had never heard of this until we received the invite through and it turns out that I had actually seen director Marc Zammit’s previous film Witch (2024). I will say, Jitters is at least a step-up from that, as it does boast some interesting ideas and a fittingly hammy villain. Unfortunately it is bogged down by cliché ridden, tension-less screenplay and wasted horror potential.
The psychological horror inflected A.I. video game hook is genuinely ripe for this genre (think Stay Alive with a more police procedural angle and your in the ballpark of what this is going for), but Jitters insists on trying to make you emotionally invested in its characters… which the writing stumbles at doing. You have seen all of this before: the unstable Detective taking matters into his own hands, a mystery ailment as a ticking clock, bonding with his estranged child. Simply put, anytime Jitters wasn’t on screen I couldn’t really care less.
There are some interesting visual choices that are ambitious with the lower budget. The blurring of reality and digital fantasy when Jitters interacts with his victims in void-like purgatory spaces is a unique choice. There are some solid practical effects (the arm scratching scene being the standout) as well. Unfortunately, it’s not remotely scary and offers up a handful of generic jump scares in its attempt to provoke a fright, but unfortunately to no avail.
The performances are a mixed bag. Santino’s world wearied Detective portrayal almost feels like a parody at times, with him seemingly trying to force any semblance of genuine emotion. This is especially noticeable as Daniel Jordan is hamming it up to the max as the titular antagonist. Spouting riddles, taunting his victims and having a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the rest of the supporting cast are hindered by the lacklustre script and are all very one-note familiar genre check box tickers.
Jitters shows promising ideas and features an over-the-top villain, however it is painfully generic in the writing of its characters, the performances are a mixed bag, the police investigation story traits and tropes, as well as lacking any genuine scares, thrills or particular gross out horrific moments.
'Jitters' is available now on digital platforms.
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