The thriller is now streaming across North American digital platforms as of October 23, 2026
For audiences who crave tension built on fractured relationships rather than just jump scares, a new independent thriller has quietly arrived on VOD shelves. Lie of the Land centers on an aging Irish couple facing financial ruin, and it’s a story that asks what happens when the life you built together starts crumbling beneath your feet.
Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has just released the thriller LIE OF THE LAND — now available on North American digital HD internet, DVD, cable, and satellite platforms starting on October 23, 2026.
The film is a contained thriller that follows Kath and Matthew Ward, an aging, penniless Irish couple. With no money, no children, and years of bad investments behind them, they recognize that they will soon be unable to continue farming. Their home, which has been in Kath’s family for generations, is now in total disrepair. Grieving her recently deceased mother, Kath is full of regret and resentment, resulting in constant bickering with her husband. Matthew is more of a dreamer who blames his farming failures on bad luck. He puts his hopes into one last scheme with the charismatic Gabriel Shepherd, who arrives at the farm ready to set them up in a new life far away, abroad, and debt-free. However, to pull it off, Gabriel will have to take the last of their money: a cash inheritance left to them by Kath’s mother. When a last-minute change of heart creeps in, the Wards realize that Shepherd was never an angel in their corner. They are suddenly confronted with fighting to save both each other and the home they were ready to abandon.
John Carlin directs the feature from a script by Tara Hegarty, with production handled by Margaret McGoldrick and Chris Patterson. The cast includes Ali White as Kath Ward, Nigel O’Neill as Matthew Ward, Barry John Kinsella as Shepherd, and Abe Smyth as Boyle.
“LIE OF THE LAND is a story about two people who have spent their whole lives building a life together and suddenly find themselves with very little left to hold onto,” said filmmaker John Carlin. “What begins as an attempt to escape their old life becomes a fight to survive it and, ultimately, a decision about what home, marriage and staying together really mean when there’s nothing left to lose.”
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated a deal to acquire LIE OF THE LAND directly with the filmmakers.
For more details on the film, visit the official website: https://www.freestyledigitalmedia.tv/film/lie-of-the-land/
ABOUT FREESTYLE DIGITAL MEDIA
Freestyle Digital Media, the digital distribution unit of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, is one of the largest all-rights independent film distributors in the world. The company specializes in VOD and streaming distribution, film acquisition, and direct partnerships across all major cable, satellite, digital, and streaming platforms. With a veteran sales team and robust infrastructure, Freestyle Digital Media is a premier destination for independent filmmakers seeking multiplatform theatrical, VOD, and streaming distribution. Recent releases include UP THE CATALOGUE featuring Jonathan Bailey, ALLSWELL IN NEW YORK starring Emmy Award-winning Liza Colón-Zayas of FX’s THE BEAR, DIARIO, MUJER & CAFÉ starring Roselyn Sánchez in her directorial debut, and CHARLIEBIRD, winner of the Founders Award at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. Additional titles in the Freestyle library include SURVIVE starring Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins, DEAR ZOE starring Sadie Sink of STRANGER THINGS, and BEST SUMMER EVER, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary Steenburgen, and Ted Danson. For more information, visit freestyledigitalmedia.tv.
Eric Peterkofsky / Sarah Madden
Allen Media Group/Freestyle Digital Media
email us here
Official FDM Trailer – LIE OF THE LAND (2026)
Why it matters: This release underscores Freestyle Digital Media’s continued push to bring independent, character-driven thrillers directly to home audiences without the need for a traditional theatrical run. For indie filmmakers, it’s another reminder that streaming platforms remain a viable — and increasingly crowded — path to getting their work seen by viewers across North America.
