Filmmaker Shane Brady (BREATHING HAPPY) had a pretty nasty thing happen to him back in 2021 when he and his wife Emily were attempting to buy their first house while the nation was still licking its wounds from the Pandemic: they were swindled out of their $20,000 down payment by a malicious agent. Despite evidence pointing to the culprit, neither the police nor the banks are able to offer any help. In their darkest hour, revenge fantasies formed, so they channeled those burdensome thoughts into the most positive direction they could, thus HACKED: A DOUBLE ENTENDRE OF RAGE-FUELED KARMA was born.
While this sounds like this has all the formative tissue of an Eli Roth orgasm of violence or a new installment in the DEATH WISH franchise, what emerges is a surprisingly joyous and jubilant celebration of neon-soaked fantasies of justice and brutality. Set against the backdrop of a shockingly communal Tampa, Florida, HACKED bounces along with a youthful energy that wins its audience to its side despite its vigilante tone.
Shane plays a version of himself alongside Augie Duke (“Mayans M.C.”) as his screen wife and children (who are fictionalized offspring based on dogs) played by Owen Atlas (LITTLE EVIL) and newcomer Collin Thompson. The villainous hacker The Chameleon is played with madcap aplomb by “The Walking Dead”s Chandler Riggs, who affects a surprise performance lightyears away from the sullen reservation of Carl Grimes. Rounding out the cast are fellow “The Walking Dead” alum Katelyn Nacon, noted character actor Richard Riehle as Santa Claus, and a wonderfully pervy and eccentric real estate agent played by Hugh Scott (DEADPOOL).
The film is presented as metacommentary of Shane Brady’s true experience, with the first ten minutes being a (fairly) accurate representation of what he endured as a result of the crime and the rest being the RAGE-FUELED KARMA he wished he could’ve experienced in reality. As mentioned, Santa Claus is integral to the story, as well as appearances from the CIA, aliens, rock stars, hockey legends, and more. While this film won’t be winning any Oscars, it is a fun diversion from the constant oppression of reality; of the world where good people suffer needlessly and the wicked go unpunished. If you’ve ever wanted to see evil men get what they deserve without completely turning your stomach, HACKED is a perfect salve for these unfair times in which we live.
I got to chat with filmmaker and star Shane Brady along with contributing composer Christopher Dudley of Underoath about making the film, the community involved, and several fun anecdotes throughout. We talked for a good long while but I will point out one point of particular interest: about 18 minutes in we discuss Brady pitching the film to Riggs through a podcast, which is an avenue I never would’ve considered but seems so obvious once it’s elucidated. If you’re a filmmaker yourself working in pre-production and hoping to hook a big fish, check out Shane, Chris, and myself discussing the advantages of a podcast as a pitch:
HACKED: A DOUBLE ENTENDRE OF RAGE-FUELED KARMA releases digitally on June 2nd.
Until next time, take care.
-McEric, aka Eric McClanahan-
