British independent production company Deadbolt Films has begun principal photography on Baited, a psychological cosmic horror feature that blends found-footage realism with the unsettling world of internet vigilante culture.

Directed by Gav Chuckie Steel (Preternatural) and produced by Jonathan Payne, Baited follows four online vigilantes who run a channel dedicated to exposing suspected predators. Their confrontational investigations have earned them a growing audience and a reputation for pushing the limits of digital justice.

When their latest target leads them to a quiet suburban house, the group enters expecting another sting operation. Instead, they find themselves trapped in a shifting, nightmarish liminal space where the house itself seems to distort and change around them. As paranoia rises and tensions fracture the group, they begin to realise they may no longer be the hunters.

Written by Thomas J. Campbell and Joe Butler, with cinematography by Benjamin Hamill, Baited is designed as a raw, immersive horror experience that draws viewers directly into the story. The film stars Isabel Salazar, Byron Collins, Benjamin Hamill, and Cora Jaine.

Using a multi-camera approach that incorporates handheld cameras, body cams, and surveillance footage, Baited promises to create a claustrophobic found-footage experience in which reality fractures and the characters’ guilt and paranoia manifest in terrifying ways.

To support the film’s production, Deadbolt Films is currently seeking additional investors and will soon launch a crowdfunding campaign inviting horror fans to become part of the project. Watch this space!