The plot anchors on how a young woman’s life turns chaotic when she uncovers a deadly secret about her friend. A painful breakup prompts Grace to visit her friend Liv, who is living in the idyllic English countryside with her boyfriend Edward and his dog Polly. The weekend starts in high spirits but soon turns into chaos, as well-kept secrets are exposed and the friends come to see each other in a whole new light. Everyone has a secret…
HELP features an impressive cast of promising actors, including Louis James (The English Teacher, A Simple Robbery), Emily Redpath (Romeo and Juliet, Casualty), Sarah Alexandra Marks, and a cameo performance from Duncan James of boyband ‘Blue’.
With a plot as dark as HELP’s, you might not expect to see former boyband member Duncan James’ cameo, but the unlikely pairing came about organically. “I met Louis whilst filming in Liverpool, a mutual friend introduced us, and we immediately struck up a friendship”, explains James. “His passion was palpable and there was a lot of mutual respect. I watched his performance in a few of Ridder’s short films, such as ‘The English Teacher’ and ‘A Simple Robbery’, and thought he was great, so I wanted to support him and be involved in his next project”.
Director Blake Ridder said: “No matter how hard we try, no one is perfect. We all have our own issues and help that we seek. Especially in our personal relationships, much like the characters in this film. During the UK’s first lockdown in March 2020, it pushed me to create even more short films than I ever did before. Of course, with each film you make, teaches you something, you learn from your mistakes and understand what really captures the audience through my storytelling. Which ultimately made me decide it was time to make my debut feature film”.
Producer Louis James added: “As the script was developed I could sense from the early stages he was crafting something unique. Coming on board as Producer, I knew I would have to match Blake’s machine-like work ethic. I got to work immediately assembling a strong cast and crew to lift his story off of the page. We worked closely together to make sure our visions for the production were kept aligned each step of the way,”.
The film is available on Digital from February 15, 2022
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