By: David Cifarelli | MassLive.com | May 5, 2026

^{The lead actors of “Deluxe Ocean View” sit on a couch at Three Fins Coffee Roasters in West Dennis, Massachusetts. From left to right: Callan McAuliffe, Camryn Manheim, Ryan Powers and Henry Ian Cusick.Courtesy of Ryan Powers}

Cape Cod’s charm and serenity became a thing of the past once a production team took over a local hotel for a terrifying feature film with some major star power.

For roughly a month, the quaint Pelham House Resort in Dennis Port was the backdrop for a new psychological horror movie called “Deluxe Ocean View.”

The film stars Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Camryn Manheim, Emmy nominee and “Lost” star Henry Ian Cusick, “Breaking Bad” star Ray Campbell and Callan McAuliffe of “The Walking Dead.”

“Deluxe Ocean View” is based on an original screenplay by Ryan Powers, who also produces and stars in the film. Meanwhile Laurence Vannicelli (“Mother, May I?”) serves as director.

This is the first full-length feature film from Powers’ production company, R U Mad at Me Productions. It is also the company’s first project to be entirely filmed on Cape Cod. Both Powers and Laurence Vannicelli are Massachusetts natives, so “Deluxe Ocean View” marks a full-circle moment for them.

“It’s been an absolute dream come true,” Powers told MassLive, adding that working with Vannicelli has been “a really beautiful experience.”

Inspired by classic horror films such as “The Shining” and “Mulholland Drive,” Powers’ film follows renowned exposé journalist Ethan Everett (McAuliffe) as he arrives at an almost vacant luxury resort for a career-saving interview.

During his stay, Everett interacts with several off-season staff and visitors, including the enigmatic owner Vera (Manheim), the watchful manager Oliver (Campbell), the morally layered Simon (Cusick), and the elusive drifter Johnny (Powers).

“As horrors escalate within the hotel,” Everett “is drawn into a nightmarish reality more terrifying than his past,” according to IMDb.

“I’m honored to have these people,” Powers said. “You can tell in the footage that they’re really, really amazing pros.”

Powers spent most of his life in Franklin and grew up going to Dennis Port with his family during the summer. He even worked at Pelham House Resort as a kid alongside his cousin, whose father, John McCarthy, currently owns the property. The producer eventually went to college in Miami, lived in New York and has spent his most recent years in Los Angeles.

Throughout his career, Powers has always had a strong connection to Massachusetts. So when it came time to choose a filming location for “Deluxe Ocean View,” Powers wanted to set up shop in his home state.

“There’s an amazing tax credit for films that shoot here,” said the producer, whose film was independently financed. “Massachusetts is awesome.”

Bringing the production to the East Coast also meant Powers would be close to his family. On that note, the filmmaker called McCarthy and asked if he could film at Pelham House Resort and its sister properties: Pelham on Earle in Harwich and Pelham on Main in West Dennis.

“I didn’t know what he was going to say, but he was like, ‘Hell, yeah,’” Powers said, mentioning how it is often difficult to get financing for independent films. “It’s been amazing.”

Powers wrote the film’s screenplay specifically for Pelham House Resort. The filmmaker visited the property often while he was living in Los Angeles to incorporate exact room numbers, private beaches and side streets into “Deluxe Ocean View.”

“We are shooting every inch of it. And so I think Cape Cod locals will 100% know exactly where we are,” Powers said. “It’s very, very, very Cape Cod specific.”

In fact, the film was entirely captured on Cape Cod with other locations, including Barnstable County Correctional Facility, in Buzzards Bay and Red Cottage Restaurant in South Dennis.

“We’re basically at this beautiful resort and then a house nearby. And then there’s an aspect of the film that requires prison,” Powers explained. “Barnstable happens to have these wings that are sort of currently not in use. And they were sort of very supportive of the idea, especially when I told them the plot. And I did tell them the plot to tug at their heartstrings. And it worked.”

Production began March 15 and wrapped April 9, according to Powers. He said this tight window was dictated by Pelham’s wedding season, which starts “when the weather gets nicer.”

While most of the shooting locations will appear as is, Powers said the name of Pelham House Resort will be changed so that people don’t associate it with the horror presented in the film.

“It’s the smart thing to do,” he said. “Just in case the people have a bad reaction to the movie.”

If all goes according to plan, “Deluxe Ocean View” will hit theaters in 2027.

“We have some really exciting studios who like the script and are waiting to see it,” Powers said. “We’ll see who likes it and what sounds like the best path for the movie.”