by Chris Daniel
PIMPED, a dark psychological thriller about a conflicted woman wronged by two men in a twisted sexual game, commenced filming in Sydney earlier this week. PIMPED unfolds over the course of one night, featuring on-the-rise Australian actors Ella Scott Lynch and Benedict Samuel.
Best known for her roles in Janet King and Love Child, Ella Scott Lynch will play Sarah Montrose. “PIMPED is one of those stories I couldn’t get out of my head,” she commented in a press release. “It’s both subversive and compelling, experimenting within deeper, darker psychological aspects of ourselves and how that can illuminate our ability to both love and hurt,” she said cryptically.
Attached to the project from its early stages, Benedict Samuel (Gotham, The Walking Dead, The Secret City) reckons that audiences will be questioning their moral compass when viewing the film. “The characters aren’t what they seem and that’s a great challenge for an actor,” he said.
The film also features Heather Mitchell, Lewis Fitz-Gerald and Robin Goldsworthy in supporting roles.
PIMPED is the first feature to go into production for co-writer/director David Barker, who up until now has worked primarily in commercials and music videos, and was also behind an ambitious early web series, The Future Machine, starring Matt Okine and Andy Ryan, which was actually included on the FilmInk iPad app (remember that one?!) back in the day.
Last year, Barker’s feature film debut was announced as The Second Coming, which received Screen Australia support, and even attached Sarah Snook, however that project is yet to go into production.
“Our aim is to make a thriller with a difference,” says Barker of PIMPED. “They’re deeply challenging roles. I couldn’t be more pleased to have Ella and Benedict leading our film. Working with the caliber of actors we have on PIMPED, is like some sort of gift.”
PIMPED is written by David Barker and collaborator Lou Mentor, and produced by Annie Kinnane and Barker, for Playground Films.
