Criminal Audition

Plot

An underground organization that provides paying criminals with stand-ins for their crimes takes on a new client, Miss M. The group's founders—William, Adeline, Moe, and Ryan—have assembled three blindfolded and handcuffed candidates for a murder case, though a fourth is missing. Miss M arrives with her assistant Morris to oversee the process and ensure her money is well spent. After interfering with several procedures, she kills one candidate, P, when he refuses to bash someone's head in.

Ryan, frustrated by the client's brutality, attempts to free another candidate, but Morris drugs and strangles that person. Only two candidates, L and J, remain. Miss M tests them on hiding a body; L is declared the winner based on Ryan's reaction. Miss M then changes the game, selecting Ryan as a candidate due to a prior deal William made under threat.

Ryan is knocked out when he protests. The true motive emerges: the victim of a case Ryan confessed to before joining the team was Miss M's sister and Morris's friend, and they seek revenge for what they see as a failure of justice. Ryan slits Morris's throat before being tortured. L and Ryan shoot Miss M after she douses William and Adeline in gasoline.

William begs Ryan to free him and take the money, but Ryan and L leave the pair tied up and escape with the money, forming an unspoken bond.

Production

The film began as a play written by Luke Kaile in 2009 after he finished college. Kaile entered film writing competitions for practice and continued writing. The script was intended for the stage, but after seeing audience enthusiasm, Kaile decided to expand it into a film. He brought the play to Samuel Gridley, and together they developed it into the final screenplay over several years.

Muzzle the Pig and Blood & Tweed partnered with British production company Mordue Pictures to bring the film to fruition. Principal photography took place over 15 days in October 2017 at the Network Theatre in Waterloo, London. The film was originally scheduled for 2013 and 2014, but filming did not begin until 2017. The single location, the Networth Theater beneath Waterloo Station, was chosen to create a claustrophobic atmosphere.

The production used tinted freeze frames at the beginning, and VCRs and cassette players evoked the 1980s and early 1990s. The film is deliberately fast-paced, as if the action unfolds over a single night. The soundtrack was composed by Al Anderson and Asa Bennett, who collaborate as Bůte. The soundtrack was released in October 2020 to coincide with the film's release.

Reception

Sight & Sound included the film in its '10 Human Horror Highlights', and Entertainment Focus placed it on a '10 hidden gems you need to see' list. Luke Ryan Baldock of The Hollywood News gave a 4/5 review, praising the script and acting as 'a genuinely well-crafted feature that utilises its limitations.' Pip Ellwood-Hughes of Entertainment Focus awarded 3.5/5, stating that 'while not a perfect film, Criminal Audition is a strong statement of intent from two exciting new faces on the horror circuit.'

Release

Criminal Audition had its first UK screening at the Prince Charles Cinema in 2019. Luke Kaile and Samuel Gridley were present, as were backers from Mordue Productions, Muzzle the Pig, and Blood & Tweed. Gravitas Ventures put the film out on Blu-ray and VOD in the US and Canada on October 13, 2020. In the UK, 101 Films released it digitally through iTunes, Amazon, and Sky Store on October 26, 2020.