Horizons / Animol / United Kingdom 2026
With his directorial debut, British actor and rapper Ashley Walters (nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of a detective in the miniseries Adolescence) delves into the dark world of gangs, humiliation, and violence at a juvenile detention center. The film’s protagonist, Troy, arrives as a helpless newcomer whose only chance for survival is to submit to his sadistic fellow prisoners. Troy’s loyalty is constantly tested, and any weakness or hint of emotion or sympathy is harshly punished. But every action has a reaction. Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at this year’s Berlinale, Animol features Walters’s co-star from Adolescence, Stephen Graham.
Marek Čermák
93 min / Color, DCP
Director Ashley Walters
/ Screenplay Nick Love
/ Dir. of Photography Tasha Back
/ Music Swindle
/ Sound Roland Heap
/ Editor Danielle Palmer
/ Art Director Gini Godwin, Camille Adomakoh
/ Producer Tom Hawkins, Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, Nick Love, Ashley Walters, Nick Love
/ Production Joi Productions
/ Coproduction SLNda, Rogue State Productions, Sky, Film4, BFI
/ Cast Tut Nyuot, Vladyslav Baliuk, Sekou Diaby, Stephen Graham, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Ryan Dean
/ Sales Bankside Films
Ashley Walters. Selected filmography: Animol (2026).
Bankside Films
12 Great Portland street, W1W 8QN, London
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 207 636 6085
E-mail: [email protected]
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