Sound & Fury — A feature film by Charles Wahl

Synopsis

An overnight punchline.

The film follows Gavin Tremblay, a former actor from a once-popular Canadian teen drama who still clings to the belief that he is "meant" for greatness. Now in his late thirties, divorced and working as the artistic director of a local theatre, and part-time acting teacher in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Gavin's fragile sense of dignity is shattered when his butt is slapped while riding his bike to work. As he falls, his shorts are pulled down, exposing the lower half of his body.

The incident, filmed by a YouTube prankster named Stevie, quickly goes viral. The video's cruel captions and mocking commentary turn Gavin into an overnight punchline: "Cherry Balls."

His children see the video, his ex-wife sees the video, and to Gavin it feels like the whole world is laughing at him.

A Plan That Goes Sideways

A misguided act of revenge.

Desperate for justice — or at least redemption — Gavin agrees to a plan suggested by Hal, a shady lawyer with a taste for chaos. With the help of Samira, the theatre's head technician and one of Gavin's only remaining allies, they stage a public reversal of the original prank. The goal is simple: get the influencer pantsed on camera.

But the prank goes sideways, and Gavin finds himself entangled in a much darker situation that he never wanted — involving a vicious assault on Stevie in which he and Samira are both complicit. Simultaneously, an unexpected opportunity to star in a big movie finally arrives, as a result of Gavin's profile rising from the prank video.

This leaves Gavin balancing the weight of his dreams with the consequences of everything he's done to chase them.

Director's Vision

Powerlessness, perception, and public shame in a hyper-connected world.

As an artist who creates both independently and in the commercial world, I can tell you: influencers sway marketing dollars, actors land or lose roles based on their follower counts, and once something hits the internet about you, it's almost impossible to shake off.

That dichotomy is reflected between our two main opposing forces in the film — Gavin, an actor shaped by traditional notions of artistic integrity and craft, and Stevie, a social media influencer whose power lies in audience engagement and user-generated content. Their clash reflects the current reality of the arts, where social media has become a true currency that sways opportunities, reputations, and careers.

Gavin's powerlessness resulting from Stevie's prank reflects what this movie is truly about to me — that feeling of helplessness that permeates a lot of our lives.

The Lesson

The right thing is to walk away.

As Canadians this is something we experience collectively as a culture. Look at how easily our entire economy is swayed by the whims of our neighbours to the south, or other economic powers in the east. We are so often at the whims of what politicians and corporations do, and it leaves us feeling like we don't have true control over our own lives.

Remember — in this film the lead character is assaulted, and a video of it was posted online, without his permission. He was wronged, and ultimately, there is nothing he could do about it. It's unjust, and deeply frustrating.

But every escalation in Sound & Fury comes from Gavin's refusal to let go. The right thing is to walk away — but he never does, and each choice makes things worse. By getting to laugh, and cry, at Gavin's experiences, we see that maybe it is better to just move on and count your blessings. Gavin's life was pretty good — he just didn't see it, and instead chose to focus on a very bad day.

Tone & Positioning

A genre-inflected, character-driven comedic thriller.

Sound & Fury is about powerlessness, perception, and public shame in a hyper-connected world — for audiences who love flawed, delusional characters in high-stakes, low-morality situations.

In the tradition of One Battle After Another, Uncut Gems, Friendship, and Fargo. Funny moments, thrilling moments, and deeply tragic ones — but at its core, always grounded in truth.

Key Selling Points

Built for the moment — designed to deliver.

• Highly Marketable Tone: Darkly funny and grounded in genre, while remaining intimate and character-focused.
• Scalable Production Model: Designed for $250K – $400K production without compromising polish.
• Established Festival Relationships: Past films Wildhood, The Mohel, Little Grey Bubbles, Paper premiered at SXSW, Palm Springs, TIFF, and more.
• Experienced Team: Written/directed by Charles Wahl. Producer Gharrett Paon (Wildhood). Story editor Heather Young (Murmur, There, There).
• Production & Post Support: Accomplice Content Supply Co. providing in-kind post services and production infrastructure.