The feature debut of James Owen mixes elements of Snatch, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Alex Chandon’s Inbred, and sleazy Brit horror Mum & Dad to great effect to bring a fun shocker to the screen.

Nina (Shian Denovan) has had a bad night; she has just attempted to rob a gang holding illegal dog fights under the guise of animal rights, and now she’s been picked up by a polite, if a little odd, older lady, Beryl (Annabelle Lanyon). After spending the night at Beryl’s house, she’s creeped out when there’s another person, Gerald (Stuart Sessions), in the kitchen when Beryl insists she lives alone. Before making her escape, she overhears talk of having a large stash of money, something she conveys to her partner, Yaz (Nansi Nsue), who sees it as the perfect way to get away from the pursuing gangsters. Heading back to the house might be the worst decision Nina will make, however…

With a title and tagline that give the game away, Bite still has some tasty morsels to deliver as things go south. The added danger of pursuing Eastern Europeans allows the film to provide its own “Zed’s dead”-type scenario. Co-writer and director Owen pulls the tension tight and keeps it sustained from the moment we’re shown the set-up to the dog fight, right through the creepiness of the seemingly benevolent middle-aged lady and the blood bath that follows.

Despite some visual effects betraying the film’s low budget, Bite is constantly entertaining and provides a gritty scenario that introduces us to a deranged family who rival the Sawyer family in their bizarre appetites and hierarchy. Kudos must go to the set designers who created a house of horrors right from the Fred West DIY handbook.