BLACK MANDALA is proud to present THE SHUG, a haunting new folk horror film from director Martin J. Pickering. Inspired by alleged real-life sightings and a recorded interview with a woman who claims to have encountered the legendary Shug Monkey, the film transports this chilling folklore into the fractured landscape of post-Brexit Britain. Blending supernatural terror with grounded emotional realism,
THE SHUG explores alcoholism, generational trauma, family breakdown, and the devastating consequences of a past that refuses to remain buried. In the summer of 2024, reports of the dreaded creature known as “The Shug” begin to surface once again across the British countryside.
John, an alcoholic still haunted by a violent encounter with the creature during his teenage years, is forced to confront the nightmare he has spent decades trying to forget. As fear spreads and the sightings intensify, John reluctantly joins forces with journalist Alice Bowmer and paranormal YouTuber “The Hobbo Adventurer.” Together, they begin investigating the growing reports, only to discover that the truth behind the legend may be far darker—and far more personal—than any of them imagined.
Best Indie Film
Boston Indie Film Festival
Best Film
Horror Screening Festival Bloody Mirror
Best Screenplay
Best Practical or Visual FX
Catacombs Film Festival
Director: Martin J Pickering
Script: Martin J Pickering, Matt Bowmer
Cast: Nicholas Clarke, Alice Henley, Mae Sutton, Dean Kilby, Jack Armstrong, Jason Hall, Funso Foluso-Henry
Cinematographer: Martin J Pickering
Music: Robin Sturgess, Mark Ayling
Producer: Martin J Pickering, Emily Pickering, Robert Tams
