The stakes couldn’t be higher for an aging Irish couple in Lie of the Land, a contained thriller that just hit North American digital platforms — a story about what happens when a lifetime of shared struggle reaches a breaking point and a stranger offers an escape that may cost everything.
The thriller is now available across North American digital HD internet, DVD, cable, and satellite platforms as of October 23, 2026, courtesy of Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution arm of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group.
At the heart of the film are Kath and Matthew Ward, an elderly Irish couple who are broke, childless, and weighed down by years of failed investments. With their farm no longer viable and Kath’s ancestral home falling apart, the pair are barely holding it together. Kath, still grieving her recently deceased mother, is consumed by regret and resentment, which fuels constant conflict with Matthew — a dreamer who chalks up his farming misfortunes to plain bad luck. Enter Gabriel Shepherd, a charismatic figure who arrives at the farm with a promise: a fresh start abroad, free of debt. But there’s a catch — Shepherd needs the last of their money, a cash inheritance from Kath’s mother, to make it happen. When doubt creeps in at the last moment, the Wards realize Shepherd was never the guardian angel he seemed, forcing them to fight for each other and for the home they were prepared to walk away from.
John Carlin directs from a screenplay by Tara Hegarty, with production handled by Margaret McGoldrick and Chris Patterson. The cast features 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 secured the rights to Lie of the Land through a direct agreement with the filmmakers.
For more details, visit the official film page: 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, ranks among the largest all-rights independent film distributors worldwide. The company focuses on VOD and streaming distribution, film acquisition, and direct partnerships across major cable, satellite, digital, and streaming platforms. With a seasoned sales team and strong infrastructure, it serves as a top 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
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Official FDM Trailer – LIE OF THE LAND (2026)
Why it matters: This release underscores how independent thrillers with intimate, character-driven stakes continue to find a path to audiences through digital distribution — bypassing traditional theatrical windows entirely. For filmmakers like Carlin and Hegarty, the direct acquisition by a major indie distributor signals that deeply human stories with modest budgets can still land on the radar of viewers across North America.
