DIRECTOR’S STATMENT

Have you ever read a script that has as much tension and hard laughs as this does? If so, can you send it to me?

I’ve been on the prowl reading feature scripts sent to me by my reps at CAA for a few years now, and I haven’t come across a script that is as funny, alluring, and unsettling as this one. I’ve been an admirer of both Toms for over a decade, and I’m chuffed that this has come my way.

My ambition is for this film to be gut punch funny but with a palpable dramatic tension that pulls you deeper throughout - I want the audience to be constantly guessing, as I was when I read it,  is Pete paranoid? Or is he truly unraveling something more nefarious? I want all the performances to be next level REAL… I don’t want to see people ‘movie acting’ or scripted lines to sound like lines - I want to see how this would genuinely play out in real life. And in fact, fact we will be genuinely shooting in sequence. It won’t add any real amount of time, but will add to the close tracking of Pete’s psychological breakdown throughout the course of the film. 

We’ll also be occasionally harnessing film’s powers to slowly induce paranoia, claustrophobia, disorientation… we’ll also use film’s strength to seep an unsettling atmosphere, and crank the laughter to 11. Through Pete’s POV we’ll feel his psychological state deteriorate to breaking point.

Our audience will be completely in sync with Pete’s desperation to be liked. Pete feels alone, lost, and wanting to connect. He just wants to have a good birthday party, guys! To me, this is funny.