COLUMBUS, Ohio – Central Ohio recently hosted production for “NightFlirt,” an independent horror movie featuring actors from the television series “Shameless,” “You,” and “Atypical.”
Filming took place in the Columbus area during February and March, according to producer Bryn Kelly. The movie follows two parallel storylines—one in 2009 and one in 2025—centering on a chronically online college dropout and an underage OnlyFans streamer. Both characters encounter the same online stalker.
“It’s a horror movie, psychological thriller,” Kelly said. “It’s kind of following this internet-era story in two different time periods and seeing how they connect.”
The main cast includes Ethan Cutkosky, known for playing Carl Gallagher on “Shameless.” He is joined by Keir Gilchrist, who starred as Sam Gardner in “Atypical,” Luca Padovan, who played Paco in the first season of “You,” Elsie Fisher, recognized for her role in “Eighth Grade,” and newcomer Caden Martel, whom Kelly described as “unbelievable.” Kelly called the cast a “really fun group.”
Filming locations included The Olympic Diner and Sloopy’s Pub in northwest Columbus, The Delaware Diner off U.S. Route 23, several Columbus-area hotels, and Savko Plastic Pipe & Fittings in north Columbus, which was transformed into a 2009-era electronics store for the film.
“Everyone loved the local business owners,” Kelly said. “They were all incredibly generous with their time and space, and we were so grateful to be able to shoot there.”
Deborah Holt, a manager at Sloopy’s, recalled being approached by Kelly about using the bar for a scene.
“She wanted to ask if we’d be willing to let them use the space for a scene for a movie they were doing,” Holt said. “That was kind of shocking. It was exciting because it’s a small, little bar. I didn’t think that would ever happen.”
The crew filmed at Sloopy’s on March 2, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., before the business opened for the day. Holt said she watched the production and met members of the cast and crew, describing them as “very professional.”
“It was really exciting to watch it,” Holt said. “You never know how much equipment and time and effort goes into it. They had so much stuff in here. It was awesome. It was only one scene, but they did it over and over again until they got it the way they liked it.”
Kelly said she visited central Ohio several times before filming to find locations with the right look for the movie.
“It was a lot of Google searching, looking around on maps, and then going in person and talking to people and driving around,” Kelly said.
Filming is wrapping up, and the production will soon enter post-production, which includes editing, adding visual effects, and color grading.
“It’s honestly been incredibly fun,” Kelly said. “We were a team of people from all over the country. We all came out to stay in Delaware, which is where I grew up in part, so it’s been wild.”
No release date has been set. As an independent film, Kelly said the plan is to submit “NightFlirt” to festivals and seek a distributor for either theatrical or streaming release.
Holt said she is looking forward to seeing the finished film.