Paul Chuckle swaps comedy for crime in new gangster flick

midlandsmovies • June 8, 2026

National treasure Paul Chuckle is set to shock audiences with his twisted turn in Peter Hirst’s gritty new British crime thriller Fall to the Top, arriving 8 June, courtesy of Reel2Reel Films.


Following his MBE honour for charitable work in June 2026, the beloved children’s TV star is swapping comedy for crime, starring as ruthless hitman and master of manipulation, ‘The Jackal’, who psychologically tortures his victims, sending them insane before they meet their grizzly end.


The film has Midlands connections with a number of scenes shot in the region and the filmmakers hope this Britflick can bring more attention to the area.


And you can check out a clip of Paul Chuckle in an exclusive scene from the movie in the video below:

The dark and hard-hitting feature follows frustrated slacker Mickey (Stephen Reilly) as he falls headlong into the world of danger, drugs wars and corruption.


Driven by an unrelenting thirst for power, he quickly rises through the ranks, but as his overwhelming arrogance consumes him, so does paranoia... and as he crosses paths with notorious killer ‘The Jackal’ (Chuckle), Mickey learns there is no place for weakness in London's deadly drug underworld.


Filmmaker Peter Hirst is an actor, writer, producer and director. And has featured in Essex Boys and the hit Sky Max comedy series Brassic. He's also starred in Midlands-made Ship of the Damned (directed by Leicester filmmaker Steve Lawson) as well as TV series Late Night Lycett, starring another Midlands legend Joe Lycett.


As well as these, you can find Hirst in many other popular movies and he has now decided this is the time to bring his directorial eye to the classic gangster genre.


Find out more about the film's release and progress at www.instagram.com/falltothetopofficialmovie


Fall to the Top is on digital 8 June from Reel2Reel Films

By midlandsmovies June 8, 2026
26 Years after the original film, the Wayan brothers are back for the 6th instalment of the Scary Movie franchise. Acting as a spiritual successor to the original two films.
By midlandsmovies June 6, 2026
My knowledge of 80s Hong Kong action films couldn't be further from Tarantino so I was excited to delve into A Better Tomorrow - a John Woo actioner - especially given the fact I'm a novice to the genre.
By midlandsmovies June 6, 2026
When the trailer dropped for Hokum, I was surprised to see Parks & Rec stalwart, Adam Scott, to be the lead in what seemed like a jump-scare-infused horror.
By midlandsmovies May 30, 2026
The Backrooms first began as a creepypasta, which is a short piece of narrative fiction typically in the horror genre that’s created by internet users. In 2019, a user on the platform 4Chan uploaded an image to a forum for disquieting images that just feel a little off
Show More