The Sale, Stow Film Lounge
A couple of weeks ago, I sat down with Nick and Marcus, the brilliant duo behind Stow Film Lounge, for a Q&A about their work, which you can also read on this site. We spoke in depth about their latest project, The Sale, their first venture into the horror genre. Last night, I had the privilege of attending a preview screening at Wanstead’s newly renovated Kinema at The Wanstead Curtain - and what a debut it is.
The Sale is a thoughtful and thrilling homage to classic British ghost stories: full of quiet dread, familiar settings turned unsettling, and that unmistakable blend of dry humour and creeping fear. Set in Walthamstow, the film follows Heather (played superbly by Joanna) as she prepares to sell her home and relocate to the British coast. It opens with a clever, fast-paced montage of ‘SOLD’ signs peppering the streets of E17, a sharp, satirical nod to the area’s frenzied housing market. There are tongue-in-cheek references to The Guardian, the ‘longest street market in Europe’, and the almost absurd sense that everyone wants a piece of Walthamstow. While packed with locally resonant jokes and cultural nods, a darker undercurrent runs beneath the surface, here, the property market is more than just context; it’s part of the horror itself.
But don’t be misled by the quiet, local setup. This film is unexpectedly and genuinely frightening. While much of the suspense is masterfully built through atmosphere and psychological tension, there are also flashes of pure, visceral horror - moments that jolt you, linger long after the credits roll, and remind you this is no ordinary slow-burn. This is a film that knows exactly when, and how, to twist the knife.
Heather’s house, ideally located near ‘The Village, no less’ should be a guaranteed sale. However, one by one, potential buyers turn on their heels the moment they step inside. Frustrated and desperate to move on with her life, Heather becomes determined to understand why no one will buy the house. She pushes estate agents for answers, only to learn that viewers all report the same vague, unsettling feeling, they can’t quite explain it, but something about the place feels wrong. They don’t just leave... they flee, eager to get out as quickly as possible. That ambiguity only deepens Heather’s own unease, and as her frustration grows, so does the sense that the house is starting to work against her too. Mysterious knocks at the door, bumps in the night, the sudden arrival of a chill, writing appearing on the wall that reads ‘Heather, help me’, doors creaking open on their own - this is properly creepy stuff. What starts as a straightforward property listing becomes something far more sinister, as the boundaries between reality, paranoia, and the supernatural begin to blur.
One of the film’s standout performances comes from Femi Oshin as the unsettling estate agent - a real artful turn. His quiet presence and subtle menace linger in every scene he’s in, making for one of the most memorable characters in the film. Joanna shines as Heather, striking the perfect balance between grit and vulnerability. She’s entirely convincing as a woman who starts out confident and in control, dreaming of a seaside escape and sure she’s about to make a killing on the sale, but slowly unravels as the house, and whatever’s in it, tightens its grip. The final act is full of twists, and the horrifying ending lingers long after the credits roll.
The Sale definitely layers its horror. Yes, there are supernatural thrills, but beneath them lies a smart, deeply human commentary on gentrification, rising house prices, and the emotional toll of losing your sense of place in the world. Heather’s refusal to lower her asking price, ‘You’d laugh if you knew what I paid for this place back then’, speaks volumes. The horror here is financial, societal, and deeply personal. Furthermore, beneath all of that is an even subtler, but no less chilling, thread: the quiet terror of no longer feeling safe in your own home. That creeping anxiety, when the place that should protect you becomes unfamiliar, even hostile, is handled with real care and emotional weight. What starts as a routine property listing spirals into a waking nightmare.
Nick and Marcus wax lyrical about making films specifically for the big screen, and with The Sale, that ethos shines through. Their command of visual storytelling is undeniable: clever framing, suspenseful pacing, eerie lighting, and a haunting score come together to create an atmosphere that’s both cinematic and deeply immersive. They manage to turn the familiar streets and interiors of Walthamstow into something genuinely sinister, without ever leaning on heavy-handed effects or tired horror tropes. This is a film that demands to be seen in a proper cinema and it feels perfectly at home at the newly renovated Kinema. In an age dominated by streaming, there’s something truly special about sitting in a dark theatre with strangers, sharing in the tension, the laughs, and those sharp shocks of fear. Walking out through the quiet, dimly lit churchyard afterwards definitely hits a bit...differently.
If you're after a proper fright, with sharp wit, emotional weight, and a few real jump-out-of-your-seat moments, The Sale is not to be missed. Catch it at The Wanstead Curtain on 9th September 2025.