Jamaican thriller ‘Stew Peas’ secures release in seven Caribbean territories

Jamaican psychological thriller Stew Peas will open in seven Caribbean territories on Oct. 29, marking the first time regional cinema chain Caribbean Cinemas has distributed a Jamaican film, according to its producer, iKon Media & Films.

The release will include Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where screenings are planned for St. Thomas and St. Croix.

The regional rollout follows the film’s domestic release earlier this year and will precede a limited theatrical release in the United States scheduled to begin in January 2027.

Written, directed and produced by Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly, Stew Peas premiered at Carib 5 in Kingston on June 27 before opening nationwide on July 22. The production company said the film was still screening in Jamaican cinemas nearly three months after its local release.

“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.

Nixon-Kelly, who also heads television and film at iKon Media & Films, described the addition of the U.S. Virgin Islands as a milestone for the production and the wider regional film industry.

The film follows Detective Tessa Riley as she investigates the murder of her best friend, while a mysterious housekeeper threatens to unravel her marriage. Drawing on Jamaican folklore and West African spiritual traditions, the thriller stars Kerry-Ann “Chiney-K” Collins, Tarique Barrett, Shernet Swearine and Quera South.

Filmed entirely in Kingston, Stew Peas is part of a growing push to bring locally produced Caribbean stories to audiences beyond their home markets.

The film is rated 18 and has a runtime of 123 minutes. Tickets for the regional release will be available through Caribbean Cinemas’ website and participating cinema box offices.