Storage 24 is a 2012Britishscience fictionhorror film directed by Johannes Roberts and co-written by Roberts, Noel Clarke, Davie Fairbanks, and Marc Small.[1][2] The film follows a group of strangers trapped in a London storage facility during a citywide blackout caused by a crashed militaryplane, where they encounter a deadly aliencreature with tentacle-like features that stalks and eviscerates its victims through the facility's maze of corridors.[1][2]Released theatrically in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2012, and in limited release in the United States on January 11, 2013, the movie runs for 87 minutes and stars Noel Clarke as Charlie, a heartbroken man seeking his ex-girlfriend's belongings, alongside Geoff Bell, Ned Dennehy, and Colin Salmon in supporting roles.[1][2] Produced on a modest budget of £1.6 million by Unstoppable Entertainment, Big Yellow Films, and Medient Studios, Storage 24 draws inspiration from classic creature-feature films like Alien, emphasizing claustrophobic tension in a single-location setting.[3][2]Critically, the film received mixed reviews, earning a 41% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes based on 34 reviews, with praise for its atmospheric horror and practical effects but criticism for uneven pacing and character development; audience scores were lower at 21% from over 2,500 ratings.[1] Some outlets, such as The Guardian, described it as "unexpectedly entertaining" for its low-budget thrills, while Empire magazine called it a "superior British horror sci-fi."[3][2] Despite its niche appeal, Storage 24 has gained a cult following among fans of independent British genre cinema for its inventive use of the storage unit environment to build suspense.[3]
Content
Plot
In London, a military cargo plane crashes, scattering its highly classified contents across the city and prompting a total lockdown that isolates the area. Unaware of the unfolding crisis, a group of individuals, including recently separated Charlie and his ex-girlfriend Shelley, who are both retrieving their belongings from a storage unit, become trapped inside the secure Storage 24 facility—a vast, labyrinthine complex of dimly lit corridors and locked units.[4][5][6]As the lockdown seals them in, the group discovers evidence of an escaped alien creature from the crashed plane through security footage and initial encounters, realizing they share the facility with a lethal, stealthy predator. Interpersonal tensions, particularly Charlie's lingering emotional turmoil from the breakup, compound the fear as they scavenge for tools and weapons to survive.[4][5]The narrative builds escalating suspense as the characters navigate the confined space, evading the creature's attacks while grappling with limited resources and the broader threat to London, culminating in desperate efforts to break free and signal for help.[4][5]
Cast
The principal cast of Storage 24 is headed by Noel Clarke as Charlie, the protagonist and a heartbroken man retrieving his belongings from the storagefacility after a breakup.[7][8]Antonia Campbell-Hughes plays Shelley, Charlie's estranged girlfriend and a central figure in the film's emotional core.[8][9]Colin O'Donoghue portrays Mark, Shelley's new partner, whose presence heightens interpersonal tensions within the trapped group.[8][3]Supporting roles include Laura Haddock as Nikki, a friend in the group; Jamie Thomas King as Chris; Alex Price as Jake, a wary and suspicious survivor; Daniel Carter as Ryan, Charlie's work colleague; Ned Dennehy as David; Georgia King as Sarah; and Tristan Gemmill as Alan.[8] The ensemble comprises approximately 10 main characters, with no major cameos.[8]
Production
Development
The development of Storage 24 stemmed from Noel Clarke's personal experience visiting a self-storage facility, where the labyrinthine corridors of padlocked doors evoked a sense of unease and isolation that he sought to capture in a horror narrative.[10] Initially envisioning a human antagonist like a serial killer, Clarke pivoted to an extraterrestrial threat to infuse science fiction elements, reflecting his original story concept.[11]The screenplay was co-written by Clarke, director Johannes Roberts, Davie Fairbanks, and Marc Small, merging alien invasion tropes with interpersonal tensions among a group of strangers locked in the facility during a crisis.[6] This approach drew from large-scale invasion films such as Independence Day for its catastrophic premise, while the single-location setup paid homage to confined-space thrillers like Die Hard.[12][13]The project was financed through Unstoppable Entertainment—Clarke’s production company, where he also served as producer—along with Big Yellow Films and Medient Entertainment, on a modest budget of around £1.6 million that aligned with the challenges of producing low-budget British sci-fi.[7][14] Roberts, known for prior low-budget horror works, emphasized practical effects over CGI for the alien creature, drawing design cues from comic book entities like Carnage to enhance authenticity within financial limits.[15][11]
Filming
Principal photography for Storage 24 took place in July 2011 over a period of several weeks, primarily utilizing a single-location setup to heighten the film's sense of isolation and confinement.[16] The production shot initial exteriors at a disused brewery in Wandsworth, London, which was dressed to represent the rundown self-storage facility central to the story, chosen for its authentic, claustrophobic corridors and cost-effective access.[17] Interiors were filmed at HDS Studios in Hayes, Middlesex, allowing for controlled replication of the storage units' maze-like environment.[17]Cinematographer Tim Sidell employed practical lighting techniques to amplify the tension and sense of dread within the enclosed spaces, drawing on the location's natural dimness to create an oppressive atmosphere.[7]Special effects for the alien creature were managed through a combination of in-house prosthetics designed by Paul Hyett and targeted visual effects, balancing the low-budget constraints with practical elements to maintain realism.[18] Director Johannes Roberts navigated these budgetary limitations by focusing on improvisational approaches in select scenes, emphasizing character-driven interactions to build suspense without relying on extensive resources.[7]
Release
Theatrical release
Storage 24 premiered theatrically in the United Kingdom on 29 June 2012, distributed by Universal Pictures International and opening on more than 250 screens.[19][20]The film's international rollout was limited, with releases in select European and Asian territories. It opened in Turkey on 31 August 2012 and in Hong Kong on 11 October 2012.[21] In North America, distribution rights were acquired by Magnet Releasing, leading to a very limited theatrical run in the United States on 11 January 2013.[22][1]For certification, the film received a 15 rating in the UK from the British Board of Film Classification for strong violence and language, with five scenes edited to achieve this.[23] In the US, it was rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for creature violence, gore, and language.[7]
Home media
In the United Kingdom, Storage 24 was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 29 October 2012 by Universal PicturesUK.[24] The editions included special features such as an audio commentary with writer Noel Clarke and director Johannes Roberts, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes on the set and creature design, and additional making-of content.[25][26]In the United States, the film received a home video release on DVD and Blu-ray on 12 March 2013 through Magnet Releasing and Magnolia Home Entertainment.[27][26] The limited theatrical performance contributed to a modest home media rollout, with the Blu-ray edition featuring similar extras including the director and writer commentary and deleted scenes.[28]Digitally, Storage 24 became available for purchase and rental on platforms such as iTunes and Amazon Prime Video starting in 2013.[29] As of November 2025, it streams on Netflix in select regions, Amazon Prime Video, and free ad-supported services like Tubi.[30][31][32]Internationally, the home media releases followed Region 2 PAL formatting in Europe, with the UK edition compatible across the region.[33] Some markets, such as Germany, included dubbed audio tracks in local languages alongside English and subtitles in Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish.[33]
Reception
Critical response
Storage 24 received mixed reviews from critics, with praise centered on its atmospheric tension and creature effects, though it was frequently criticized for lacking originality and depth in its storytelling. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 41% approval rating based on 34 reviews, with an average score of 5.1/10.[1] Similarly, Metacritic assigns it a score of 52 out of 100, derived from six critics, indicating "mixed or average" reception.[34]Critics highlighted the film's tense, claustrophobic atmosphere and effective use of its single-location setting to build suspense, often comparing it favorably to low-budget genre efforts. The practical effects for the alien creature were a standout, described as "fabulous" with "dripping grossness and ridiculous appendages" that added a tangible sense of horror. Noel Clarke's performance as the lead, Charlie, was noted for its likability and growth from a frustrated everyman into a reluctant hero, with reviewers calling him a "good lead" who anchors the ensemble. The Guardian's Jeremy Clarke found the film "unexpectedly entertaining," appreciating its blend of gore and self-aware absurdity in a confined space.[35][36][3]However, the film faced significant criticism for its predictable plot twists and derivative creature-feature tropes, echoing recent sci-fi horrors without innovation. Weak dialogue, particularly in early scenes focused on relationship drama, was faulted for slowing the pace and making characters feel underdeveloped and whiny. Variety described it as an "amiably routine genre pic" hampered by an "unoriginal premise" and repetitive visuals in its thrifty production design. Empire Magazine noted the "needless relationship chat" at the outset, though it still praised the overall suspense as making it a "superior British B-movie" with "one or two serious scares" and "excellent creature design." The consensus positioned Storage 24 as entertaining low-budget fare that delivers thrills but fails to transcend familiar genre conventions.[20][37]
Box office
Storage 24 was produced on a budget of £1.6 million.[14] The film grossed a total of $689,652 worldwide, equivalent to approximately £430,000 at 2012 exchange rates.[38]In the United Kingdom, where it had its primary market, Storage 24 opened at number 13 with £225,000 during its first weekend of release on 29 June 2012.[14] The total UK gross reached $372,153.[39] Internationally, earnings were modest, with $159,030 from Turkey, $57,590 from Hong Kong, and a limited US release that earned just $72 overall—one of the lowest-grossing theatrical releases ever, with an opening day of $44 across a single screen.[39][14]The film significantly underperformed at the box office, failing to recoup its budget through theatrical earnings alone and necessitating reliance on home media sales for partial financial recovery.[38] This outcome was influenced by the constraints of its low-budget production, which limited marketing reach beyond the UK.[14]