Polly Maberly Faces Deadly Debt in Gritty Thriller ‘Odyssey’

Following its buzzy world premiere at SXSW earlier this year, Gerard Johnson’s latest feature Odyssey is set to bring its neon-soaked grit to UK audiences, with premieres at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 15 August and FrightFest London on 25 August, before opening nationwide on 7 November.

The film stars Polly Maberly as Natasha Flynn, a sharp-witted, high-powered real estate agent whose lavish lifestyle is built on debt and deception. When her loan sharks demand repayment, she is pulled into a dangerous criminal scheme that forces her to reconnect with a volatile figure from her past. As colleagues close in, and the criminal underworld tightens its grip, Natasha’s calculated world unravels into a frantic descent through London’s underbelly.

Maberly’s performance has been singled out by early viewers for its balance of icy ambition and raw vulnerability, anchoring a cast that includes Swedish star Mikael Persbrandt (The Salvation, Sex Education), Guy Burnet (Oppenheimer), Jasmine Blackborow (The Gentlemen), Daniel De Bourg (MobLand), and Peter Ferdinando (High-Rise).

Johnson, whose previous work includes Tony, Hyena, and Muscle, once again blends crime drama with pointed social commentary. Odyssey uses its high-stakes thriller framework to explore the exploitation and greed embedded within the housing market, presenting a city where desperation is as valuable a currency as cash. The film’s look is heightened by an original score from post-punk band THE THE, lending a propulsive energy to Natasha’s chaotic spiral.

The production was steered by a seasoned team including producers John Jencks, Isabel Freer, Matthew James Wilkinson and Patrick Tolan, with executive producers Jay Taylor, Kwesi Dickson, Polly Maberly, and Gerard Johnson himself.

Since its SXSW debut, Odyssey has drawn comparisons to the sharp, character-driven crime thrillers of the 1970s, while its visual style and tonal shifts evoke a modern noir sensibility. With its festival circuit momentum and a lead performance already generating awards chatter, the film’s UK cinema release is positioned as one of the year’s more anticipated independent thrillers.

For more information on this year’s fantastic FrightFest, and for tickets, visit frightfest.co.uk.

Odyssey trailer