By: Elena Mart
Acclaimed writer and director Michael “Boogie” Pinckney is turning today’s most unsettling housing headlines into pulse-pounding cinema with his latest psychological thriller, Deadly Squatters, premiering March 3rd on Tubi. Starring in the film are Jason Small, Victoria Vanderberg, Yanni Brown, Hunter McGowan, and Orlando Valentino. Under the banner of Boogievision Creative Studio, “Deadly Squatters” asks a chilling question: What would you do if strangers claimed your home and the law refused to help?
Film Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V02WIeVdc4o
Your upcoming film, Deadly Squatters, is already generating buzz. Can you tell us where and when audiences will be able to watch it, and what inspired this gripping story?
Boogie: “Deadly Squatters” premieres March 3rd on Tubi. The story was inspired by the real-life horror stories we kept seeing in the news about homeowners returning to find strangers living in their houses and then discovering that the legal system often couldn’t remove them quickly. That idea alone felt terrifying to me. Your home is supposed to be the one place where you feel completely safe, and the thought that someone could take that away, leaving you powerless to stop it, felt like the perfect foundation for a psychological thriller.
How did you approach directing “Deadly Squatters”?
Boogie: From a storytelling standpoint, I was interested in how ordinary people respond when their sense of security is stripped away. The tension comes not just from the squatters themselves, but from the psychological toll of being trapped in a situation where the normal rules no longer apply. By grounding the performances in realism and letting scenes breathe, we were able to create a kind of unease that lingers beneath the surface rather than announcing itself.
“Deadly Squatters” taps into a fear that feels uncomfortably real right now. The idea that your home, your safest place, can be taken from you and the system won’t protect you is terrifying. This film lives in that tension.” — Michael “Boogie” Pinckney (Writer x Director)
Please tell us about the cast. How did you assemble this ensemble, and what is it about their performances that impressed you the most during filming?
Boogie: The cast for Deadly Squatters was assembled by my wife and our in-house producer and casting director, Ashlee C. Pinckney. She has a real gift for discovering fresh talent and matching actors to roles in a way that feels authentic and grounded. From the very beginning, she focused on finding performers who didn’t just play the characters, but who could truly embody them emotionally and psychologically. That authenticity was crucial for a film like this, where the tension depends on the audience believing every moment.
Photo Courtesy: Ashlee C. Pinckney
We were fortunate to bring together an ensemble that included both experienced actors and exciting emerging talent. What impressed me most during filming was the level of commitment everyone brought to their roles. The story required performances that could shift from subtle and natural to intense and emotionally raw, sometimes within the same scene. The cast embraced that challenge and created characters that feel real, unpredictable, and at times unsettling — exactly what a psychological thriller needs.
“We’re intentional about telling stories that are entertaining, provocative, and socially relevant. This film does all three while delivering a relentless thriller experience. It’s all in the details” — Ashlee C. Pinckney (Head of Production & Delivery)
Photo Courtesy: Ashlee Watson / Boogievision Creative Studio (Deadly Squatters)
Who do you think Deadly Squatters will resonate with the most, and what makes this film stand out from other psychological thrillers?
Boogie: What makes the film stand out is that the threat isn’t abstract or supernatural — it’s rooted in a situation that has actually happened to people. The horror comes from the realism of it. Instead of a traditional home-invasion story where the danger is immediate and obvious, this is a slow psychological invasion where the characters are forced into uncomfortable proximity with people they don’t trust. That dynamic creates a different kind of suspense.
You’ve recently wrapped production on The Loyalty Test. Without giving too much away, what can audiences expect in terms of tone, themes, or surprises from this upcoming project?
Boogie: The Loyalty Test is our next psychological thriller, and it’s scheduled to premiere in June 2026. Without giving too much away, audiences can expect a tense, twist-filled story that blends mystery, suspense, and social commentary in a very modern way.
In your opinion, what’s still missing for Black creatives in film and television, and what steps would you like to see the industry take to create more opportunities and visibility?
Boogie: What I hope to see more of in the industry is continued growth in opportunities for Black creatives to tell a wider range of stories and to build lasting careers both in front of and behind the camera. We’ve seen encouraging progress over the years, and I’m excited about a future where Black filmmakers have even more freedom to explore different genres and perspectives from psychological thrillers and sci-fi to prestige dramas and character-driven stories without limitations or expectations about what those stories should look like.
Boogievision Creative Studio has steadily built a reputation for producing compelling independent thrillers. What is your long-term vision for the company as a development and production studio?
Boogie: The long-term vision for Boogievision Creative Studio is to continue growing as a development and production company vendor that consistently delivers high-quality, character-driven stories for Networks, Studios, and Streamers. We want to build a sustainable slate of films and series that reflect both strong storytelling and smart production strategies.
