Five FrightFest Facts with Raymond Friel and Kathy Speirs

Few settings are as inherently tense as a prison cell, and Jailbroken wastes no time exploiting that claustrophobic pressure. Premiering at FrightFest Glasgow yesterday, the high-concept thriller traps its audience inside a single cell alongside violent inmate Joe, who receives a chilling phone call informing him that his ex-wife and son have been kidnapped. With only a phone at his disposal and the clock ticking down, Joe is forced into a desperate psychological battle to save his family before time runs out.

Written by BAFTA Scotland-nominated screenwriter Raymond Friel and produced by Kathy Speirs alongside a team of Scottish filmmakers, Jailbroken unfolds in real time, turning one confined location into a pressure cooker of paranoia, guilt and survival. Directed by Vasily Chuprina in his feature debut and led by double BAFTA Scotland-winning actor Bryan Larkin, the film blends emotional stakes with razor-sharp suspense, exploring themes of redemption, power and the complicated pull of family.

Following its Glasgow screening, we caught up with Friel and Speirs for a round of Five FrightFest Facts to talk about their cinematic inspirations, the films they would love to see lighting up the FrightFest screen, and the unusual awards they think the festival should introduce.

Five FrightFest Facts with Raymond Friel and Kathy Speirs from Jailbroken

Tell us about your film

Raymond Friel: Jailbroken is an incredibly tense thriller set in a prison cell about a violent criminal who must somehow rescue his kidnapped wife and son with only a phone. 87mins of pure nail-biting fun.

Kathy Speirs: Jailbroken is a – prison thriller and Joe’s story, it’s an excellent story and one which will keep you at the edge of your seat.

How did you get into making movies?

Kathy Speirs: I am a working class filmmaker who didn’t go to film school and my big inspiration is my nana who was a legend (Betty Proctor) and loved Hollywood movies and Picture Goer magazine and I used to watch the Saturday double bill at her house every week.

Raymond Friel: In secondary school instead of going out with girls or doing some underage drinking me and my friends would  go to the video shop to rent the latest horror films every Friday night. Once you’ve seen Frankenhooker you know what you have to do with the rest of your life…

What films would you love to see screened at FrightFest and why?

Raymond Friel: Meet the Feebles – Peter’s Jackson second film which is essentially a video nasty version of The Muppets. From this career high his work went rapidly downhill. Also Botched 2 – it’s not been made (or written) yet but is the sequel to my film Botched which featured in the 2007 London Frightfest. The world is ready.

Kathy Speirs: I would like to see all types of indie films at FrightFest, the more the merrier and the fullest spectrum of genre gore to hybrid crime capers.

If you could create your own award to give at FrightFest, what would it be and why?

Kathy Speirs: My award would be for the most long-suffering crew member.

Raymond Friel: Most Obvious Lack Of Budget Which Led To A Crucial Scene Bering Cut So That The Film Doesn’t Make Any Narrative Sense – There’s not enough celebration of the ridiculous decisions that get made when productions are running out of cash.

If your life was made into a horror film, what would it be called and who would play the starring role?

Raymond Friel: Ethan Hawke is the obvious choice – we look like twins separated at birth (I’ve even sent him various emails and pictures over the years). Title: Stalk Hawke.

Kathy Speirs: The Ginger Dead Man’s Revenge and my role would be played by Sarah Snook.

Jailbroken is a reminder that some of the most gripping stories come from the simplest ideas executed well. By confining the action to a single prison cell and forcing its protagonist into an impossible situation, the film delivers the kind of stripped-back, high-stakes storytelling that thrives at festivals like FrightFest.

If the answers from Raymond Friel and Kathy Speirs reveal anything, it’s a deep love for genre cinema, indie filmmaking and the chaotic realities of getting films made. And as Jailbroken continues its festival journey, audiences can expect exactly what Friel promised: a tense, nail-biting ride from beginning to end.