Why British Indie Film Is Finding Its Feet Again

Why Shogun Films Are Part of That Story

If you’ve spent any time paying attention to British independent cinema over the last decade, you’ll know it’s often felt stuck. Not short of talent, not short of ideas, but oddly hesitant, pulled between funding-friendly realism on one side and ultra-microbudget passion projects on the other. What’s been missing is confidence. The belief that British films can be content to entertain on its own terms and still be worth making.

That’s starting to change.

Quietly, without much fanfare, a new wave of UK indie films has been finding its audience again, particularly in genre. Horror, action, thrillers. The kinds of films British cinema used to make with regularity, and export successfully, before we collectively decided they were somehow beneath us. One of the companies helping drive that shift is Shogun Films.

Shogun isn’t trying to reinvent cinema, and that’s part of the appeal. Founded by Jonathan Sothcott and Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott, the company focuses squarely on genre filmmaking with a clear sense of purpose: understand their own audience, and be clear about their intent and the market they are for. That alone puts them ahead of a lot of the indie landscape.

There’s a refreshing pragmatism to the Shogun approach. Budgets are controlled, shoots are efficient, and projects are designed to actually get completed and released. It’s a model that feels closer to the heyday of VHS-era studios than to modern development-heavy production culture. Less endless pitching, more delivery.

What’s also notable is the emphasis on recognisable talent and practical filmmaking. Shogun films tend to favour solid performers, physical action, and effects that exist in the real world rather than on a hard drive. That matters, especially in these kinds of film, where texture and impact often trump polish. These are films built to be watched, not just discussed. It all feels like films I grew up watching in the 80s.




Importantly, Shogun isn’t stuck in the past either. Their move into vertical micro-drama, with projects like Swipe!, shows a willingness to experiment with form and distribution without abandoning storytelling fundamentals. It’s a smart acknowledgment that audiences are changing, and that indie cinema can adapt without losing its identity.

For a new generation of British indie filmmakers, companies like Shogun offer a useful reminder: longevity matters more than hype. You don’t need to chase awards, trends, or prestige to build a viable film culture. You need a clear voice, an understanding of your market, and the nerve to commit.

Their most recent film, Dr. Plague, was released as of the 12th January 2026. Starring Martin Kemp as Detective John Verney on the trail of a masked serial killer cutting a swathe through East London. The killings echo the Jack the Ripper murders of 1888 and the Plague Doctors of old. Directed by Ben Fortune and written by Simon Cluett, Robert Dunn and Robert Geoffrey Hughes it also stars legends like Peter Woodward, Gary Webster and David Yip, Shogun staple Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott and a whole swathe of very talented performers such as Wendy Glenn, Harry Walters and Charlie Bentley

You can check out our review of the film on Letterboxd here:  https://boxd.it/REBts 



 

Location: Merseyside, UK

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