Ben Wheatley

Ben Wheatley is happy that these are small-budget movies made on his own terms. After finishing High-Rise with Tom Hiddleston and Luke Evans, he turned to Free Fire. The idea came from reading transcripts of real police shootouts that are far messier than the movies ever portray them. "That was the beginning point for me," Wheatley says. "I thought maybe there's something in this, a procedural thing about people in a gun battle in real time. I'm not saying that Free Fire is a documentary or massively realistic, but it relies on some of that realism."

Ben Wheatley at the 2017 Empire Awards

Set in 1970s Boston, the film was shot in a warehouse in Brighton, England, over six weeks with an eclectic ensemble of actors led by Brie Larson, who arrived straight from filming her wrenching Oscar-winning role in Room.

Continue reading: Ben Wheatley Threw His Cast Into Free Fire

Tom Hiddleston leads the ensemble cast of Ben Wheatley's new thriller High-Rise, based on the J.G. Ballard novel. And it's Ballard's bleak world view that drew him to the project.

"What Ballard is interested in is who we really are beneath the veneer of sophistication and good manners," Hiddleston says. "So at what point do your manners break down, and when does your more animalistic nature emerge?"

Continue reading: Tom Hiddleston Felt Faint Preparing For High-Rise

With director Ben Wheatley announcing that Tom Hiddleston has been cast in the lead role in the upcoming 'High Rise', we're now brimming with anticipation for the JG Ballard adaptation. The director set tongues wagging by tweeting a picture of the movie poster and writing “here we go. Cant quite believe this is happening. Tom Hiddleston! Jeremy Thomas! Script by Amy Jump! JG BALLARD!” The big screen version of 'High Rise' has been in the works for decades so we thought we'd give some explaination of the project's history and what can be expected now it's finally hitting the big screen.

Tom Hiddleston has been cast as the lead in 'High Rise.'

What is 'High Rise'?;
High Rise' was published by English author JG Ballard in 1975, Ballard had just gained notoriety for his novel 'Crash', published two years earlier. Like many of Ballard's works 'High-Rise' is a dystopian work looking at the negative impact of modern life. It centers on a new residential tower which was designed as a luxurious solution to the problems of the city, but where the residents find themselves becoming increasingly isolated. Hiddleston will play Robert Laing, a young doctor who, as life in the High Rise deteriorates and residents break into tribal factions, finds himself in the middle of mounting violence that begins to emerge in himself.

Continue reading: With Tom Hiddleston On-Board, What Can We Expect From 'High Rise'?

It is likely that Ben Wheatley's new movie A Field in England, staring Julian Barratt, will play no part in the major awards ceremonies in 2013 and 2014, though the historical drama has received a slew of five-star reviews putting it amongst the very best received films of the year.

Set during the English Civil War in the 17th century, the movie follows the story of Reece Shearsmith's Whitehead who flees from his strict master and meets Cutler (Ryan Pope) and two travellers Jacob (Peter Ferdinando) and Friend (Richard Glover).

When Cutler takes the two travellers hostage and captures Whitehead, he forces hallucinogens on them and makes them help him and Irishman O'Neill find buried treasure in a field.

Continue reading: Is Ben Wheatley's 'A Field In England' The Finest British Movie Of 2013?

Ben Wheatley, the film director whose previous movies Down Terrace and Kill List have established him a key figure in British filmmaking, is back with his latest film, the black comedy Sightseers. Even before its UK release this week, the film has landed seven nominations for the forthcoming British Independent Film Awards.

Sightseers stars Steve Oram and Alice Lowe as an odd couple whose dream caravan holidays takes a very wrong turn. Though predominately a comedy, Sightseers features liberal amounts of extreme violence perhaps more suited to Wheatley's horror flick Kill List. "We were cautious not to make it too malicious or vicious. It's violent - and some of it's red raw - but it doesn't slip too far into the really heavy misery of Kill List. It pulls back before it really upsets the audience. I wanted them to laugh!" Wheatley explained to the BBC. The movie has impressed critics ahead of release, with Mark Adams of the Daily Mirror saying, "A deliriously dark and gloriously bloody crime comedy, Sightseers is a wonderfully eccentric film that delivers twisted humour at some British landmarks." Contactmusic's very own Rich Cline lauded the movie too, writing, "Even by Ben Wheatley's genre-busting standards, this film is a triumph, centring on comedy and romance in a road movie about two violent serial killers. After the terrific Down Terrace and Kill List, we probably should have expected as much." Filmed mainly in scenic spots in northern England, Sightseers also saw Oram and Lowe stay in character during 12-hour shoots (even on testing terrain) Wheatley explained, "I was watching Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights the other day and I recognised the same crag that we shot on. I thought, 'Hang on - I know this rock!"

It's likely that Sightseers will win Best Film at the Independent Film Awards on 9 December 2012, though it faces reasonable competition. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - starring Bill Nighy and Dame Judi Dench - was a surprise hit stateside, while documentary The Imposter received rave views. Berberian Sound Studio creeped out audiences with its chilling tale, while the Tim Roth-starring Broken is also worth a shout. 

Continue reading: Is Ben Wheatley's Sightseers The Best British Movie Of The Year?