A murder investigation, a marriage under threat, and a mysterious housekeeper with more going on than anyone realizes? Stew Peas has our attention, and this Jamaican psychological thriller is preparing to bring its unsettling story to more big screens across the Caribbean.
iKon Media & Films has announced that the U.S. Virgin Islands will join the film’s regional theatrical rollout, with screenings in St. Thomas and St. Croix. Written, directed, and produced by Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly, Stew Peas opens simultaneously in seven territories through Caribbean Cinemas on October 29, 2026. According to the announcement, it is the first Jamaican film the regional exhibitor has ever distributed.
For BGN readers who love stories rooted in Black folklore and the spiritual traditions of the diaspora, this is one to keep on your radar. The film follows Detective Tessa Riley as she investigates the murder of her best friend, unaware that a mysterious housekeeper is quietly dismantling her marriage from within. Solving a murder is already enough pressure without danger making itself comfortable in your own home.
Steeped in Jamaican folklore and West African spiritual traditions, Stew Peas brings a culturally specific perspective to its psychological suspense. The film stars Kerry-Ann “Chiney-K” Collins, Tarique Barrett, Shernet Swearine, and Quera South, and was filmed entirely on location in Kingston, Jamaica.
Its Caribbean expansion follows a sustained theatrical run at home. After premiering at Carib 5 in Kingston on June 27, the film opened nationwide on July 22. Nearly three months later, iKon Media & Films says it continues to hold screens in Jamaican cinemas, giving this homegrown production momentum as it heads into its next chapter.
That momentum also puts a Black woman filmmaker’s work in front of a wider audience. Nixon-Kelly serves as the film’s writer, director, and producer, as well as Head of TV and Film at iKon Media & Films. For an industry where access to theatrical distribution can determine whether a story reaches audiences beyond its home market, this regional release is a meaningful step.
“Every new territory confirms what we’ve known all along: Caribbean audiences are hungry for authentic, homegrown cinema, told in our own voice on the big screen,” Nixon-Kelly said. “Adding the U.S. Virgin Islands brings us to seven markets on day one. That isn’t just a win for our team; it’s a leap forward for Jamaican and Caribbean filmmaking as we prepare to take the film to the United States early next year.”
The October release includes Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It also launches the film’s international rollout ahead of a limited U.S. theatrical release beginning in January 2027.
Jamaica has long offered international productions a compelling place to film. Stew Peas puts the focus on the island’s own storytellers, with a Jamaican filmmaker bringing a locally rooted story to audiences across borders. For fans eager to explore more Black genre cinema, that means another opportunity to discover how filmmakers throughout the diaspora are shaping suspense on their own terms.
Stew Peas opens October 29, 2026, at participating Caribbean Cinemas locations. Tickets are available through Caribbean Cinemas and participating cinema box offices. The film carries an A18 rating and runs 123 minutes.
