"isn’t going to please everyone — and nor should it try"

The Fan Carpet has previously interviewed members of the cast and creative team behind Jitters.

Marc Zammit returns with his third feature film, Jitters, which centres on an AI clown hell-bent on showing no mercy as users navigate a fictional horror-themed video game.

Jitters has two core threads at its heart. On one hand, it offers a cautionary take on what can go wrong when there are no guardrails within an AI system. On the other, it tells a deeply human story about how far a father will go to protect his daughter. Like the film itself, we’ll explore these themes separately before bringing them together, mirroring the approach of screenwriter George Wilcox.

The rogue AI, Jitters — brought to life by Daniel Jordan — is genuinely terrifying, tapping into very real modern fears. He embodies chaos with a theatrical flair that elevates the character beyond a simple antagonist. While there are shades of the clown prince of crime in the performance, this is no mere carbon copy of the Joker; instead, Jordan crafts a distinct and unsettling portrait rooted in human anxieties.

On the other side of the coin is newly divorced father Detective Collymore, portrayed by Fabrizio Santino. His Collymore is a man shaped by the darker side of life, and Santino brings both depth and emotional weight to the role. He keeps the character grounded and flawed, navigating the escalating situation with a believable sense of urgency and vulnerability.

These two storylines converge in a satisfying and well-paced way, with the ticking clock acting as a constant source of tension. Supporting Collymore is his partner and best friend, Sam Harding (Anto Sharp), who serves as a steady, level-headed presence — a necessary counterbalance — and Sharp delivers a strong, measured performance.

With its reliance on practical effects and SFX makeup, led by the brilliant Kate Griffiths, Jitters stands as a triumph of hands-on filmmaking. In an era where AI is increasingly part of the creative conversation, Zammit and his team firmly champion a human-first approach — made all the more impressive by the film’s commitment to practical stunts, including literally setting a man on fire for a pivotal scene involving Adrian Derrick-Palmer’s Ralph.

With strong performances all around — particularly from Boo Miller, Jess Impiazzi and Chloe Hews — Jitters isn’t going to please everyone — and nor should it try. In attempting to satisfy all audiences, films often lose their identity. Instead, Zammit and the team at Aptitude Films have delivered something distinctive. In an independent landscape where originality can be hard to come by, this is a bold and confident entry, and three films in, Zammit clearly knows what he’s doing.