Midlands Review of Trick Shot
midlandsmovies • March 22, 2021
Trick Shot
Directed by Christopher Deans
2021
The darkest events are often pillaged for humour. It’s a risky move, a trick shot if you will, a tightrope that rarely works unless Chris Morris is at the helm.
Kudos then to Christopher Deans, whose smart writing and direction makes this ten-minute short about rogue IRA agents a joy to watch. Gerry, Bobby and Michael (Paul Findlay, Dominic Thompson and Brian Marks respectively) sit in their hideout waiting to ship a pool table packed with explosives to a Birmingham pub, in a last-ditch attempt to disrupt the Good Friday Agreement.
The tension is ramped up as Gerry attempts a trick shot, which should make the table explode, but instead brings accusations of sabotage and puts the whole plan into question.
What is so good about Trick Shot is the naturalistic way that the leads interact. One-scene, small cast pieces are so reliant on having the right people involved. Findlay, in particular, is given time to shine the story of how the trick shot was learnt (involving Ronnie O’Sullivan’s father). It’s the sort of drunken pub nonsense we’ll all recognise, and Findlay delivers it with relish.
Thompson and Marks are also excellent, with Deans’ providing them with fully rounded characters despite the short running time. At just ten minutes, Trick Shot is a film you can dive into repeatedly and be able to see the little quirks in the characters that lead to bigger questions down the road.
It is very funny, but not so outlandish that it undermines the subject matter, and all three actors do a fantastic job of switching from the light-hearted first half, to the more serious second half. It never feels disrespectful to the events of the Troubles, nor does it feel forced when these earnest questions have to be addressed.
It establishes Christopher Deans as a ‘must-watch’ talent in the Midlands, keeping your attention from the opening news reports to the raucous Flogging Molly outro.
Matthew Tilt
Twitter Matthew_Tilt
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Pete Key, Jai Blanks and Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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