A trio of film students get more than they bargained for when they attempt to make a horror movie for their course.

Ryan (David Gridley) and Jake (Vince Hill-Bedford) express a desire to make a picture featuring zombie hookers, much to the bemusement of their teacher (played by horror legend Tony Todd). They have roped their fellow student Erica (Steffani Brass) into starring in their film, which will be a found footage-style affair. When Erica is kidnapped right in front of their lens, their night descends into a fight for their lives.

Their plight is intercut with the police detectives reviewing the footage on the camera they found when they discover an abandoned car. As they attempt to find out what’s going on and potentially save the kids, time could be running out for the filmmakers as a deranged killer has them tied up in an unknown location.

Splitting the action between the footage shot by the students – cue the traditional found footage tropes of shaky-cam and obtuse angles – and the traditional narrative involving the detectives is a wise decision from director Benjamin Louis and writer Jonah Kuehner. Particularly as once the camera has been found, we see the victims within the same cinematic thread as the police. This gives the found footage a purpose rather than just being a budgetary requirement. It becomes an integral part of the story as it is aiding the investigation.

Despite being the headline actor, Tony Todd’s appearance is essentially an extended cameo, but it’s an effective one as he dominates the screen with his presence. This is certainly above the ‘phoned-in’ jobs he’s had lately. There’s a decent build-up of tension and you’re likely to be willing ill on the two meat-head wannabe directors. The conclusion might be a tad obvious but it works, although some viewers might feel a little short-changed.

Stoker Hills is available on digital now.