Skillhouse

Skillhouse ', is a 2025 American horror film written and directed by Josh Stolberg. It stars 50 Cent, Neal McDonough, Leah Pipes, Caitlin Carmichael and TikTok stars Hannah Stocking and Bryce Hall. The film is about the top 10 influencers who are kidnapped and forced into a deadly social media showdown where the stakes are life and death.

Synopsis

Carter is an influencer who is grieving the loss of his sister Lauren, who was murdered while the two were filming a video for social media. While he is trying to regain a sense of normality Carter is kidnapped along with nine other influencers and imprisoned. They are all told that they must compete with one another to gain viewers - the one with the least amount of views per round will be killed.

Cast

Bryce Hall as Carter
Hannah Stocking as Lauren
Neal McDonough as Brandon
Jacob Skidmore as Sebastian
Gunner Burkhardt as Asher
Emily Mei as Amanda
Caitlin Carmichael as Maureen
Dani Oliveros as Kirsten
Ivan Leung as Keo
Paige VanZant as Peyton
John DeLuca as A.J.
Leah Pipes as Rumer
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as himself

Production

Plans to create Skillhouse were first announced in 2022. Deadline reported that it was intended to be the first in a franchise starring Bryce Hall. News outlets reported that Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson was brought in as a producer through his company G-Unit Films and Television Inc., alongside Alex Baskin, Lifeboat Productions’ Amy Kim and Jaime Burke, and Ryan Kavanaugh’s Proxima Studios. Steve Johnson was brought on to provide special effects. Josh Stolberg was brought on to direct and later claimed that Johnson's special effects caused a camera operator to faint.

Filming

The film was shot in 2022 at the Sway House mansion in Bel‑Air, Los Angeles.

Lawsuit

In April 2025, Curtis Jackson filed a lawsuit against Ryan Kavanaugh and GenTV, seeking to block the platform from streaming Skillhouse. In his suit, Jackson stated that Kavanaugh had not paid him for his time and that as Jackson had not signed a deal to use his image and name, that Kavanaugh was engaging in trademark infringement, false advertising, and unfair competition. Jackson was seeking a block of the film’s release and $5 million in damages.
Jackson requested a preliminary injunction to block the film's release but was unsuccessful, as a federal judge did not feel that Jackson had met the required legal standards of establishing that the film would successfully cause irreparable harm.

Release

Film rights to Skillhouse were acquired by Red Sea Media. The film was premiered at Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2025, and had a limited theatrical release via Fathom Entertainment on July 11, 2025.

Reception

Critical reception for Skillhouse has been negative. Bloody Disgusting's Matt Donato panned Skillhouse, criticizing its characters as unlikeable and giving viewers "no reason to care about any of the contestants". He further noted that the film was "the MadTV to Deadstream’s Saturday Night Live in terms of quality, but even that’s giving too much credit" and that it contributed to "the misconception that horror cinema is only senseless blood and guts." Jeff Ewing of Collider was also critical, stating that the cinematography was flat, that the actors lacked performative skill, that the film lacked good suspense, and that while the film had well-executed gore, that it did not follow the in-universe rules and "muddles its premise".