During Fantastic Fest, THN caught Jamie Childs’ Jackdaw and it became one of our favourites of the festival. Starring Oliver Jackson-Cohen of The Haunting of Hill House and The Invisible Man fame, Jackdaw is a British thriller with a difference. Filmed and shot in Hartlepool County Durham and Tees Valley, Jackdaw channels both Dead Man’s Shoes and Bull, but ventures into its own arena. The plot follows a former motocross champion and army veteran who must track down his missing brother after getting tangled up in his hometown’s criminal underbelly.
Despite having already worked on massive television shows such as Doctor Who, The Sandman, and His Dark Materials, somehow Jackdaw marks writer and director Jamie Childs’ first feature film. Jackdaw is tightly scripted and shot, and keeps the viewer utterly absorbed. The film also has some breathtaking cinematography. Childs mixes nature with the industrial to create a wonderful tapestry in which the compelling story can unfold. Our review called Jackdaw ‘electrifying’ from start to end and certain to become a ‘a future indie cult classic.’ We also remarked that Jackdaw was ‘a thriller with teeth and brains’, making it a ‘deadly prospect’.
Given how much THN enjoyed Jackdaw, we were thrilled to be invited to speak with Jamie Childs ahead of Jackdaw’s Spanish debut at Stiges. During our conversation we delved into the dual inspiration for the piece, the importance of location, the thought-process behind blending the natural with industrial, and just why Oliver Jackson-Cohen was the perfect actor to portray Jackdaw. You can watch the interview in its entirety in the video below:
Synopsis: A former motocross champion and army veteran is now caring for his younger brother. Broke, he agrees to do an open water pick up of a mysterious illegal package in the North Sea. A resulting double cross and his brother’s disappearance set him and his old bike on a violent nocturnal odyssey through England’s northern rust belt.
Jackdaw screens at Stiges with a theatrical release date still TBC.
