This week’s release of The Score is something director/writer Malachi Smyth has been waiting for. His first attempt at directing a feature was 15 years ago and he was two weeks away from shooting when everything ground to a halt. But his second attempt, a crime musical, is making it onto cinema screens. And it’s an experience he’s aiming to repeat as soon as he can.
Johnny Flynn and Will Poulter play two small time crooks who choose a down at heel roadside café as the location for a transaction that will change their lives. But as the wait for the people who will make it all happen gets longer and longer, frequent phone calls don’t help matters, Troy(Poulter) has a more personal experience. He starts to question his life choices and falls in love with the café’s waitress, Gloria (Naomi Ackie).
In this exclusive interview, Smyth looks back on his first attempt to direct a film and what he took away from that experience, as well as his continued career as a screenwriter. He talks about the advantages of directing his own scripts – especially from the actors’ perspective – and considers why it’s especially valuable for a film made on a tight budget. And he looks forward to what might be his next project, hoping that as many of the team from The Score will want to be involved.
The Score is released in cinemas on 9 September 2022.
