Screwed
Gritty prison thriller Screwed, out this Friday, 3rd June and directed by up-and-coming British director Reg Traviss, turns the genre on its head by showing life behind bars through the eyes of the guards.
In the film, James D’Arcy (Master & Commander) stars as Sam, an English everyman forced to take a job as a prison officer on his return from a traumatic tour of duty in Iraq.
He quickly bonds with his hardened fellow screws but the violence and desperation he witnesses on the job and his haunting memories of bloodshed overseas draw him down into a world of drink and drugs - a world in which he is increasingly alienated from his family.
When a confrontation with the prison authorities on the inside and the fatal shooting of a fellow officer on the outside lead Sam to the realisation that the watchmen may be as corrupt as the prisoners they’re paid to watch, he becomes embroiled in a potentially deadly game of cat-and-mouse against the background of a full-scale cellblock riot.
Screwed is produced and co-written by the man who lived it, Ronnie Thompson, and directed by Reg Traviss (Joy Division, Psychosis) and in cinemas this Friday.
So to celebrate the release of Screwed in cinemas nationwide, here’s a closer look at the work of the film’s director, exciting new talent Reg Traviss.
After starting out working on a number of small short films, Traviss made his directing debut in 2006 with war drama, Joy Division.
The film features Thomas Schilling as a German man, Thomas, who in 1944 is enlisted to fight in the German army after losing his family and sweetheart, Melanie, to the hands of the Russian army.
Following his time in the German army, Thomas is then taken as an orphan by a commissar to join the soviet union where years later he becomes a KGB agent and moves to London.
Still haunted by the horrors of his past, the movie follows Thomas’ struggle to let his demons go, helped by the meeting of a young woman, Yvonne.
The movie was well received and saw Traviss make his mark within the British film industry merging the genres of war, drama and love impressively.
Following the success of his debut, Traviss then waited four years before the release of his next film, psychological thriller Psychosis last year in 2010.
Starring Charisma Carpenter, the movie tells the story of a successful horror novelist, Susan, who moves to seemingly idyllic rural England with her husband in search of a quiet life. However she soon becomes tormented by disturbing visions which are seen by her and no one else.
As these visions worsen the lines between fantasy and reality become blurred, leading to an exciting climax as Susan strives to fight her demons.
The movie saw Traviss exhibit his ability to deliver on a broad range of genres and this is continued with the release of his newest offering, the eagerly anticipated Screwed.
There’s no doubt that Traviss has much to offer the film industry and will be around for some time to come!
Screwed is released 3rd June.
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