‘Jimmy and Stiggs’ VOD Review
Stars: Joe Begos, Matt Mercer, Riley Dandy, Jason Eisener, Josh Ethier, James Russo | Written and Directed by Joe Begos
There’s a particular strain of indie genre cinema that feels like it was made by a couple of horror-obsessed mates who’ve mainlined VHS-era splatter and decided to just go for it. Jimmy and Stiggs sits firmly in that lane: scrappy, loud, chaotic, and proudly fuelled by enthusiasm over budget. And VERY Joe Begos!
Directed by and starring Joe Begos – alongside his longtime collaborator Josh Ethier, Jimmy and Stiggs traps most of its madness inside a single apartment, where struggling filmmaker Jimmy finds himself dealing with the fallout of a mysterious 12-hour blackout. Drugs and alcohol are accounted for, so when the missing time doesn’t add up, the only logical explanation is… aliens. Naturally.
Once Jimmy’s estranged mate Stiggs (Matt Mercer) shows up, things escalate quickly from conspiracy chat to full-blown apartment siege, as blue-hued extraterrestrials start teleporting in and turning the place into a battleground. What follows is essentially two guys versus an army of goo-splattering invaders, and the body count racks up fast.
Where Jimmy and Stiggs really carves out its identity is visually. Much of the carnage unfolds under blacklight, turning alien blood into glowing neon splatter and giving the whole thing a surreal, Laser Quest-from-hell aesthetic. It’s bold, it’s excessive, and it’s undeniably memorable. By the time the walls are coated in fluorescent gore, it feels less like a film set and more like an alien rave gone wrong.
The practical effects work deserves serious credit. For a two-hand, single-location production, the sheer volume of creature chaos is impressive. Puppetry, splatter and DIY ingenuity carry the action, and even when polish dips, ambition keeps things entertaining.
That said, the film isn’t without flaws. Extended first-person POV sequences – complete with blinking effects – feel indulgent and occasionally frustrating. The blacklight gimmick, as striking as it is, can also lead to visual fatigue. And narratively, things drift into “stuff happening” territory rather than delivering a tightly structured payoff.
Still, there’s an infectious energy here that’s hard not to admire. Begos and Mercer have a loose, almost improvised chemistry that anchors the madness, and the film’s commitment to its absurd, drug-fuelled alien invasion never wavers.
Jimmy and Stiggs isn’t slick, subtle or narratively airtight, but it’s inventive, messy fun with glowing blood to spare. For fans of low-budget sci-fi splatter (and Begos’ previous work) that swings big and doesn’t apologise for it, this is an easy one to root for.
*** 3/5
Jimmy and Stiggs is on UK and Ireland digital platforms 16 February 2026
