Acorn TV have unveiled an exclusive North American cut of their trailer for “Help,” the film written by Jack Thorne (“His Dark Materials”) starring “Killing Eve’s” Jodie Comer as a care worker caught up in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and Stephen Graham (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”) as one of her patients.
“It started as a provocation from Stephen Graham, write something for me and Jodie, write something about Liverpool,” Thorne says of the film. “As it grew so we all took authorship of it, and we all grew together, inspired by the firsthand stories we were hearing. I am immensely proud of what we all made.”
In “Help,” which is set in Comer and Graham’s native Liverpool, Comer plays Sarah, a newly-trained care home worker who develops a bond with patient Tony (Graham), who is suffering from young-onset Alzheimers. As the COVID pandemic hits in early 2020, Sarah finds herself battling alone – without PPE or government assistance – to save the care home’s residents as the country is overcome by the new, fast-moving virus.
“Help,” which won the Rose d’Or Award for best drama, is directed by Marc Munden (“The Third Day”).
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“Help was written in extreme anger about the state of care – not just in the U.K. but around the world – and the lack of priority it was given around the world. Too many disabled people died in the pandemic because their needs weren’t prioritized,” Thorne says. “It was also written as a love song to the care industry. My mom was a carer and I saw firsthand the beautiful effort she put in to looking after her clients and residents. An underpaid job, that is vital in our times, and those that kept going into those homes, despite the risk to themselves, and despite the poor pay, are our true heroes.”
“Doing research for this was a process unlike any other. I’ve written bleak stories before, but very few when the temperature of the room was still so hot. There is no doubt that many carers and residents are still struggling with shielding and with PTSD and I do think TV – that vital empathy box in the corner of the room – can help to shed light on this, and hopefully lead to an increased focus on the needs of the care home.”
Thorne, Munden, Graham, and Comer executive produce alongside Beth Willis (“Doctor Who”), George Faber (“Collateral”) and Christopher Moll (“Lady Macbeth”). “Help” is a Forge Production, in association with One Shoe Films and Liverpool Film Office for Channel 4 Television. All3Media is handling international distribution.
The film premieres Monday, Jan. 31 on Acorn TV.
Check out the trailer below:
