JINX (2026) Review & Exclusive Interview: Richard Oakes Builds a Family Nightmare Inside a Cursed Dollhouse
By Seth Metoyer | More Horror
Some of the best horror stories begin with something familiar, something we associate with childhood and innocence, before twisting it into something deeply unsettling. A dollhouse seems like an unlikely doorway into cosmic horror, but writer-director Richard Oakes has some rather sinister ideas about what might be lurking behind those tiny doors.
His feature film, JINX, is a wonderfully imaginative supernatural horror adventure that draws inspiration from the gateway horror films of the 1980s while introducing some genuinely strange mythology of its own. There's a little Stephen King lurking in its family dynamics, a strong dose of H.P. Lovecraft's The Dreams in the Witch House, and enough occult weirdness to make the whole thing feel like someone discovered a forbidden chapter of the Necronomicon tucked away in a child's attic.
What makes JINX even more interesting is the story behind its creation.
Oakes, whose extensive music-video background includes work with metal heavyweights Slipknot, Sleep Token, and Lamb of God, built much of this film alongside his wife and five children. The family helped construct sets, create props, develop costumes, and portray some of the film's most unsettling characters.
The result is an impressive piece of independent filmmaking that delivers some surprisingly effective scares, a wonderfully creepy atmosphere, and an emotional payoff I genuinely didn't see coming.
JINX Review: Something Wicked in the Dollhouse
The story follows Mia Harper (Chloe Hews), a 12-year-old girl who cannot speak and who has recently moved into a new home with her family. When Mia discovers an unusual dollhouse in the attic, her curiosity leads her toward a supernatural mystery with some rather horrifying consequences. After her younger brother Todd (Issa Oakes) mysteriously disappears, she must unravel the dollhouse's secrets before an ancient curse claims him forever.
It's a terrific setup, and Oakes takes the premise in some unexpected directions.
The dollhouse itself is easily one of my favorite aspects of the movie. There's something inherently unsettling about miniature replicas of familiar environments, particularly when those replicas appear connected to forces beyond our understanding. Oakes turns this simple childhood object into the centerpiece of an increasingly elaborate supernatural mythology.
One especially clever detail involves a miniature doll representing Mia herself. What initially seems like another piece of the dollhouse's strange collection eventually takes on a much greater significance. I loved how Oakes uses something so simple to establish a connection between the physical world and the supernatural realm. It's one of those creative touches that becomes increasingly fascinating as the story unfolds, and I'll leave the details for viewers to discover.
The film's exploration of a spiritual realm adds another dimension to the story, giving its supernatural elements a sense of history and purpose. I particularly enjoyed the occult references and the clever nod to the Necronomicon. There's a definite Lovecraftian quality to the way the story approaches hidden worlds and the dangerous forces that exist within them.
At times, JINX feels like H.P. Lovecraft's The Dreams in the Witch House collided with one of Stephen King's stories about childhood, family, and the terrifying things adults struggle to understand. It's a fascinating combination, and Oakes clearly enjoys exploring the possibilities.
Visually, the film looks fantastic for an independent production. Oakes also serves as cinematographer, and his experience directing high-impact music videos shows in the lighting, compositions, and overall atmosphere. The environments have a convincing sense of place, and the movie maintains a polished visual identity throughout.
Then there are the masks.
The creature designs are wonderfully disturbing, with some genuinely creepy masks that feel as though they've crawled out of a particularly unpleasant childhood nightmare. The physical designs give these supernatural figures a distinct personality, and the film benefits enormously from that tangible, handmade quality.
I also appreciated the attention given to the children and their family dynamics. The inclusion of bullying and the everyday difficulties kids face provides a recognizable emotional foundation for a story that eventually ventures into some extremely strange territory. Those grounded elements help establish Mia's world before the supernatural forces begin tightening their grip.
Chloe Hews makes Mia an engaging central character, carrying a role that presents some interesting challenges because the character cannot communicate through conventional speech. Her relationship with her family, particularly her younger brother, gives the escalating danger a personal dimension.
Another standout is Christopher Mulvin as Rick Specter, also known as Dr. Phantasma. This character brings an eccentric, wonderfully peculiar energy to the film. Imagine a spiritual alchemist with the enthusiasm of a mad scientist and a little of Jeffrey Combs' Herbert West from Re-Animator rattling around in his head.
There's something deliciously strange about him, and Mulvin clearly understands the kind of movie he's inhabiting.
As the story develops, Oakes introduces increasingly inventive supernatural concepts that expand the mythology well beyond the original dollhouse premise. I enjoyed discovering how these ideas fit together, particularly the film's interpretation of the spiritual world and the forces attempting to manipulate it. There's a real sense of imagination at work here, with some surprisingly ambitious ideas for a modestly scaled independent horror production.
And then there's the ending. Without giving anything away, JINX delivers a genuinely heartfelt moment involving sacrifice that caught me completely off guard. It's a touching conclusion that adds real emotional weight to the supernatural adventure preceding it. It’s a reminder that even after loss, the things we cherish never truly disappear. I wasn't expecting the story to land quite that way, and I appreciated the filmmakers taking the time to give it that dimension.
For a movie designed to introduce younger audiences to horror, JINX demonstrates a real understanding of what makes the genre memorable. The scares come through atmosphere, unsettling imagery, imaginative storytelling, and the occasional creature that might follow you into your dreams.
Oakes has created something that feels connected to the adventurous spirit of 1980s horror while developing a mythology and visual personality of its own.
A Family Affair: Building the Nightmare by Hand
The production story behind JINX deserves some attention of its own.
After previously directing more adult-oriented horror films, Oakes wanted to create something his children could experience and actively help bring to life. That ambition ultimately transformed the project into a family collaboration.
His eldest son, Eli Oakes, plays the eerie character Whisper and spent months learning to perform on stilts to develop the creature's distinctive physical movements. His son Issa portrays Todd Harper, while his other children, Isaac, Nuri, and Kiowa, also appear in the film.
Oakes' wife, Rachel, known as Roo, served as a producer and portrayed the Doll Mother, one of the film's principal antagonists.
The family also helped build sets, create props, and assemble costumes, giving the production a particularly personal dimension.
One of the more impressive behind-the-scenes revelations involves the Harper family home. Although the finished film presents it as one location, Oakes actually combined four separate environments: three properties for the exterior and different interior levels, plus a specially constructed attic set.
That attic also served another purpose. The filmmakers engineered part of the structure to pull away, allowing the same set to function as an enormous side view of the dollhouse.
It's exactly the kind of ingenious, resourceful filmmaking that makes independent horror so fascinating.
The film premiered at the British Horror Film Festival, where it earned four awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Director for Oakes, Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Mulvin, and the Rising Star Award for Chloe Hews.
Following my screening, I had the opportunity to speak with Oakes about his career in music videos, his family's involvement in the production, and the challenges of creating an ambitious supernatural adventure on an independent budget.
Exclusive Interview: Richard Oakes on JINX, Heavy Metal, and Handmade Horror
MORE HORROR: You've directed a lot of music videos and worked with major metal acts, including Slipknot, Sleep Token, and Lamb of God. How has that experience shaped your approach to filmmaking, particularly when it comes to atmosphere, lighting, and visual storytelling?
RICHARD OAKES: It has been a massive benefit. Most indie filmmakers might shoot one to three projects a year, but when you are producing multiple music videos and live shows every month, you get endless reps to test different techniques, take creative risks, and push boundaries.
On a practical level, music videos taught me how to move fast, work with minimal crews, and punch way above our weight on a low budget. Because music videos are often a one- or two-person operation out of necessity, you learn every single discipline from the ground up: concept writing, cinematography, directing, art design, color grading, VFX, and editing.
Bringing that all-in-one background to a feature film gives you a comprehensive, hands-on understanding of every department, allowing you to guide the entire visual machine cohesively.
MORE HORROR: You previously worked in more adult-oriented horror, but JINX takes inspiration from the gateway horror adventures of the 1980s. What inspired that creative shift, and which films or filmmakers influenced the kind of experience you wanted to create?
RICHARD OAKES: My family is my world! I have five kids, and I really wanted a way to truly involve them in this filmmaking journey, but up to that point, I had only made R-rated horror movies.
I wanted to pivot and make something suitable for all ages that still delivered genuine scares, reminiscent of the Amblin-style adventures we grew up watching in the 1980s, like Poltergeist, Gremlins, Beetlejuice, and even Ghostbusters to an extent.
Shifting to that tone meant the whole family could not only experience it together in the cinema, but actually be a massive part of the physical production.
MORE HORROR: One of the most fascinating things about JINX is that you made it with your wife and kids, creating sets, props, and costumes together. What was that experience like, and how did having your family involved influence the production?
RICHARD OAKES: Not only did I want my kids to be able to watch this film, but I wanted them to be a core part of bringing it to life. Every single one of them is on screen in the film, either wearing a mask or not. Directing my own children for the very first time was a truly wonderful experience.
My eldest son, Eli, read the script in one sitting and immediately asked, "So can I play Whisper?" He spent months practicing on stilts for hours a day to master the movement, and his performance completely blew me away.
My other son, Issa, plays Mia's brother, Todd, marking another acting debut for the family.
My other three children, Isaac, Nuri, and Kiowa, also joined in, playing the Cain family children and the doll children, while my wife, Roo, who was also a producer on the movie, stepped into the primary antagonist role as the Doll Mother.
Beyond acting, we put our heads together as a family to build the sets, construct the props, and make and source the costumes. The whole production was a true family affair.
Roo even went into the recording studio with the artist Chimpspanner to record the vocals for the synthwave end credits track titled "JINX IT," which is out now on Spotify.
I am so proud of everything we have accomplished together.
MORE HORROR: The trailer really caught my attention, especially the lighting and atmosphere. As someone who also works in independent filmmaking, I know how challenging it can be to create convincing environments with limited resources. What were some of your biggest technical or creative challenges, and how did you overcome them?
RICHARD OAKES: We had quite a few logistical puzzles to solve on this film, but the biggest one was definitely the Harper family home and attic. We wanted the house to feel cinematic and authentically 1980s, but every single 1980s-style house we found on location databases was a single-story bungalow.
To get what we needed, we ended up hiring three different properties, one for the downstairs, one for the upstairs, and one for the exterior, plus we built a fourth set for the attic at a completely separate location. In the end, the "single" house is actually four different locations seamlessly stitched together in the edit.
Building that attic set came with its own engineering challenge, too. The whole side of the attic set was designed to pull away so it could double as a side shot of the dollhouse.
We had to figure out how to remove a massive supporting wall from a giant set without the whole thing collapsing on the cast. It took some serious brain noodling, but we figured it out, and thankfully, nobody died!
Another major obstacle came up during the driving conversation between Dr. Phantasma and Mia. Christopher Mulvin, who plays Dr. Phantasma, actually can't drive!
To pull it off, we filmed passing environments out of a car window while driving around, then played that footage back on our home TV that we bolted right to the side window of his car while it sat stationary on my driveway.
Instead of unbolting and rebolting the rig to the passenger window for the other side of the conversation, we just had Chloe, who plays Mia, sit in the exact same driver's seat Chris had been using, and then we simply flipped the footage in the edit.
MORE HORROR: JINX follows Mia, a 12-year-old girl who discovers a cursed dollhouse while searching for her missing younger brother. What inspired the story, particularly the dollhouse and its supernatural mythology? How did you approach balancing genuine scares with a story intended for younger horror audiences?
RICHARD OAKES: The spark for the story hit when I was spitballing new concepts with my producer, Marc Zammit. He knew I was looking for an idea that could reach a younger audience, and he suggested a cursed dollhouse. That idea instantly stuck because it captured that perfect intersection of eerie, dark atmosphere with childlike play and wonder.
I love a good creepy story, and so do my kids, but every time I go to suggest a movie, I remember it usually comes with a lot of adult elements that just aren't suitable for them. So I thought, what if I made a film that delivered genuine creepy moments and scares, but had no bad language, sexual themes, or gore? It is so rare to find a horror film like that today.
At the same time, we knew that just having scares wasn't enough; balancing in the humor and a strong sense of adventure was essential to really captivate that younger audience. So weaving that comedic and adventurous spirit alongside the horror was a key focus for us.
So far, it has been amazing to see both younger and older audiences enjoying it. It's really become the ultimate film for horror lovers to share with their own families, without having to kick anyone out of the room.
MORE HORROR: JINX premiered at the British Horror Film Festival and took home four awards, including Best Film and Best Director. After everything your family invested in making the movie, what was that experience like? What did that recognition mean to you personally?
RICHARD OAKES: That recognition meant the world. When you pour your heart and soul into something, especially a project built alongside the people you love most, having other people connect with and recognize that effort makes every challenge worthwhile.
I'm so endlessly proud of my wife and family, as well as our fantastic cast and crew, for everything they poured into this film. It has easily been the most special project I've ever made.
MORE HORROR: Now that JINX is available to audiences, what do you hope families and younger horror fans take away from it? And looking ahead, has this experience inspired you to explore more gateway horror or return to darker material?
RICHARD OAKES: I hope they get to rediscover that magic we experienced as kids and enjoy those classic scary adventure films we grew up watching in the '80s. I think adults will get a wonderful nostalgic kick out of what we've built, while also coming away with an emotionally satisfying story.
As for the future, I would love to make more gateway horror movies, though a lot of that will depend on how well this one performs!
Beyond that, I still have plenty of genres I am eager to explore, including thriller and sci-fi.
Final Thoughts: A Little Dollhouse With Some Big Nightmares
I came away from JINX genuinely impressed.
Richard Oakes and his family have created an imaginative supernatural adventure with strong production values, memorable creature designs, an inventive mythology, and an unexpectedly touching emotional core.
I particularly enjoyed the film's exploration of the spiritual realm, its ingenious dollhouse concept, and Christopher Mulvin's wonderfully eccentric performance. The Lovecraftian touches give the story an additional layer of weirdness that I found especially appealing.
There's also something refreshing about a filmmaker taking his experience in darker horror and applying it to a project that younger audiences can discover alongside their families. Oakes understands that horror can be frightening, adventurous, funny, and heartfelt within the same story.
For viewers who grew up with the supernatural adventures of the 1980s, JINX offers an entertaining return to that particular kind of cinematic magic.
It's a very well-made independent horror film, and the ingenuity behind its production makes the accomplishment even more impressive.
Definitely worth checking out, especially for horror fans looking for something creative, creepy, and a little different. Props to Richard Oakes and the entire JINX cast and crew.
Where to Watch JINX
JINX (2026) is available digitally through Amazon.
Watch on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHBC4FZL
Follow the filmmakers on Instagram: @darkfablerich | @jinx_movie
Disclosure: This feature is part of More Horror's Fast & Scary promotional program. The review reflects the writer's independent assessment of the film.
Watch the Official JINX Trailer
[INSERT OFFICIAL TRAILER EMBED HERE]
Trailer:
JINX (2026) Full Cast & Crew Credits
Cast
Chloe Hews — Mia Harper
Anto Sharp — Jack Harper
Alyssa Morgan Haymor — Liz Harper
Issa Oakes — Todd Harper
Christopher Mulvin — Rick Specter
Eli Oakes — Whisper
Elspeth Young — Daisy
Tabitha Gooding — Kali
Alice Mukunku — Jess
Linda-Jean Barry — Mrs. Jenkins
Anthony Maynard — Detective Dan
Rachel Oakes — Mrs. Cain / Doll Mother
Marc Zammit — Mr. Cain
Marc Zammit / Eli Oakes — Doll Father
Richard Oakes — Doll Father (Voice)
Isaac Oakes — Cain Son 1 / Doll Son 1
Austen Neighbour — Cain Son 2
Nuri Oakes — Doll Son 2
Kiowa Oakes — Cain Daughter / Doll Daughter
Rachael Young — School Teacher
Joe Vince — Police Deputy
Dean Addison — Police Boat Man
Obadiah Quirk — Noah Harper
Cameron Chatterton — Bullied Boy
School Children Extras
Finlay Powell, Sam Moody, Nathan Dolan, Rachel Dolan, Noah Hurley, Kimberley Nam, Annabel Nam, Aeron Neighbour, Nuri Oakes, Eli Oakes, Isaac Oakes.
Search Party Extras
Paul Chinnery, Chrissie John, John Neighbour, Sarah Neighbour, Mathew Neighbour, Bella Elise Cox.
Police Dog
Lele
Police Dog Handlers: Paula Tuduri Marin, Carl Gordon
Voice-Overs
Rachel Oakes — Mother Doll
Richard Oakes — Father Doll
Kiowa Oakes — Daughter Doll
Isaac Oakes — Doll Son 1
Production Crew
Written & Directed by - Richard Oakes
Produced by - Rachel Oakes, Richard Oakes, Marc Zammit
Executive Producers - Rachel Oakes, Tess del Carmen-Regan
Co-Producer - Ruth DesRoches
Associate Producers - J.P. Erwyn, Mark Fantone, Kimberly Bland Lauck, Kieran's Music Videos / The Silent Magician, Edward Haddon, Jason Twigger, James Fuller
Production Assistant - James Fuller
1st Assistant Director - Marc Zammit
Director of Photography - Richard Oakes
Camera Operators - Richard Oakes, Dean Addison, Timothy Carr, George Burt
1st Assistant Camera - Dean Addison
Drone Operator - George Burt
Gaffer - Dean Addison
Digital Imaging Technicians - Dean Addison, Timothy Carr
Sound Recordists - Ben Turnbull, Joe Vince, Tobias Withers
Sound Mix - Joe Vince
Sound Design - Joe Vince
Foley Artists - David Engellau, Nicolas Gamboa, Elin Soderberg
Music by - Benjamin Symons
Featured Songs
"The Mountain" - Written by Alexander Westaway and Daniel Haigh; Published by Horsie In The Hedge Music (BMI)
"JINX IT" - Paul Ortis featuring Rachel Oakes
"Whispers Rising in the Night" - Lord Gozillas featuring Rebekah Knight
Visual Effects
VFX Supervisors - Richard Oakes, Timothy Carr
3D Design - Issa Oakes
VFX Compositing - Richard Oakes
Special Effects - Timothy Carr
Creature Design - Neal Harvey at Rubber Gorilla
3D Printing - Dean Addison
Costume Design - Rachel Oakes
Art Design - Richard Oakes, Rachel Oakes
Set Construction - Richard Oakes, Rachel Oakes
Runner - Nick Tuck
On-Set Photographers - Dean Addison, Paul Welford
Behind-the-Scenes Filming - Eli Oakes
Additional Production Support
Picture Printing - Chris Preston at PresstoPrint.co.uk
Building Supplies - Chadzy's LTD Newcastle Emlyn
Locations - Scouty, Dude Ranch (Wales), Orion Hollidays, Location Works, MainHouse Pictures, Benson Saw Mill, Cholsey School
Location Coordinators - Nick & Caroline Oakes, Mike Attwood, Luke Main, Mark Wilkinson, Keri Newman, Heidi McSweeney, Kevin Lindsey
Car Hire - Alan Greenhill at Greenhill Restorations
Special Thanks
Our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ
Nick & Caroline OakesChristine & Hugh JohnJohn & Sarah NeighbourLaura, Mark & Megan HewsEmma LesterMathew & Emily NeighbourOwen & Christy NeighbourSian & Andie LaidlawBethany & KieranThomas, Marcus & Bradley OakesThe Quirk FamilyAlex WestawayDan HaighAlex GingellCharles FitzGeraldMathew FowlerOlivia EmeryKevin at Cotswold Water ParkEd PolgardyAndrew Mark SewellAlok MishraEvrim ErsoyAdam MastRachael Orr & TomElla & Cammy ChattertonDaniel WrightPaul ChinneryKimberly WalkerSamantha AttanoJeffrey MarvinHayley EvansMonika OpasR DesRochesRebecca Z.MotherDuckieKimberly Bland LauckTess del Carmen-ReganSalvatore Angelo Cento Jr.Ebrahim SaidJonathan KinchKaren WoodhamLance NeilsonDavid FreedmanLee CravenTom ChattertonRebekah KnightMark FantoneCrystal MillerElizabeth ChappelleSandra Howard-WilliamsJ.P. ErwynJeremy MartinKieran's Music Videos / The Silent MagicianMegan TremethickBrandon UlaskyLee HeathNatalie Raffaele PavoneMark FantoneJason ScottPaul ChinneryAndrew BrownGerhard SanftJacqueline A BrownBrandon HinesAngela TuatagaloaMark FantoneGawain CoxAlyssa GalarzaLynn MosquedaMark FantoneHenk BruggeHope TylerRuss MartocciR DesRochesAlec James BookerJames DentonKevin HaldonAntonio PantojaJames BusheChris MukunkuJulian GoodingRachael YoungKayleigh PowellKayi NamChloe HurleyJen & Matt Dolan
Equipment
APUTUREBLAZAR
In Loving Memory Of
Jason TwiggerEdward Haddon
Film credits and review screener courtesy of Richard Oakes and the JINX production team.
