#fear and terror / revenge / violence / family / blood / fatherly love / sharp objects / unplanned amputation / cruelty /  Polish premiere

BULL

thriller / USA / 2020 / 1h 28m

Revenge is a dish best served raw…

Bill used to be a thug in a local gang. Now, tired and all but devoid of humanity, he returns to his hometown unexpectedly after ten years of absence. His family and friends are surprised by his sudden reappearance. However, they don’t greet him with flowers and a backyard BBQ, and the only screams audible have nothing to do with cries of joy… Instead, unspeakable pain and despair enter their neighborhood. The man doesn’t care for the good old times and certainly doesn’t want to reconnect. On the contrary, he’s about to cut even more people out of his life – and hack their tendons and arteries along the way. Bull, broken and betrayed, has become a bloodlust beast, determined to avenge past wrongs. The only thing that helps him retain some semblance of humanity is a vicious fight for the son, who was taken away from him. Bull won’t be looking for closure and justifications… Like the Big Bad Wolf, he will huff, and he will puff, and he will blow his former friends’ brains out and scatter them across the wall. But his family won’t be waiting idly for the bloody payback… In a distorted act of self-defense, they’re about to take preventive action no less cruel than his. The dreary town becomes the backdrop of reckoning so vile, it loses all semblance of cathartic deliverance. Next station: Hell!

“Bull” is a gritty and realistic revenge movie with no clear-cut distinction between good and evil. Paul Andrew Williams, known for directing “The Cottage” and co-creating “Broadchurch” and “Strangers,” presents an unforgiving, violent, and gory thriller steeped in grim realism. The violence here is suggestive and shocking, and the victims’ piercing cries for mercy burrow deep under the skin. Williams is not here to present over-the-top characters or indulge himself in the extravagance of stylized combat scenes where each thug moves like a ballerina. Instead, Bull stabs, cuts, and severs without refinement or precision. Fueled by blind rage, he’s here for the slaughter – it’s meant to hurt and end in a painful death. “Bull” is a grim revenge saga with no one to root for.

The production is finessed by Neil Maskell’s subtle performance and the scenery, encompassing the misty surroundings of a small English town and a vivid color palette of the past set on fire.

directed by: Paul Andrew Williams
screenplay: Paul Andrew Williams
starring: Neil Maskell, David Hayma, Laura McAlpine, Lois Brabin-Platt, Jake Davies, and others
cinematography: Ben Chads, Vanessa Whyte
editing: James Taylor
music: Carmen Montanez Callan
language: English
subtitles: Polish

WORLD PREMIERE: Fantasia International Film Festival 2021

Age restriction: 18+