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Christopher Presswell makes his directing debut with The Whip, co-writing the screenplay alongside Forgács W. András. They craft a tale that shines a light on timely social issues while keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

Sadie is a full-time caregiver for her sister Emily, whose disability leaves her reliant on state benefits. But new government reforms threaten these supports.

Desperate to protect Emily, Sadie hatches a plan to steal damaging information from the man pushing the changes. She recruits an unlikely gang to break into Parliament and expose the corruption behind these policies.

The Whip received a limited UK run in cinemas last September. Beyond its entertaining heist plot, the film sparks thoughtful discussion. It brings to life true struggles faced by many while using humor and heart to critique damaging austerity measures. Through dynamic characters and their nail-biting mission, Presswell’s debut delves into politics with perspective and care.

Stars: Meg Fozzard, Shian Denovan, Tom Knight, Ray Bullock Jr., Gala Wesson, Daniel Davids | Written by Christopher Presswell, Forgács W. András | Directed by Christopher Presswell

The Whip opens with Emily (Meg Fozzard), who suffers from a brain injury, and her sister Sadie who cares for her full time, suffering through a benefits interview. And I do mean suffering as the interviewer, somewhere between disinterested and outright hostile, gets Emily’s name wrong and asks if she has mobility issues as she sits there in her wheelchair. Despite a host of issues stemming from her injury, including short-term memory issues, shaky balance confining her to a wheelchair, and hands that shake, she’s deemed fit for work. A forgone conclusion given the government’s “Putting Ability Back into Disability” slogan for revamping the National Health Service.

Elsewhere, Michael Harrington is trying to sell these new policies to voters, and they are not buying it.

Austerity-minded MPs are the target of this likable drama, in which a struggling carer hatches an implausible plan to get her own back on the government

Here’s an austerity drama made with the best of intentions on what looks like the thriftiest of budgets; so low-budget, in fact, as to almost be homemade. It’s about the plight of carers, beginning straightforwardly enough in social realist mode with frazzled full-time carer Sadie (Shian Denovan) and her disabled sister Emily (Meg Fozzard) struggling to get by. The government is introducing new welfare reforms that will make their lives harder still, but Sadie is too exhausted to join the protests. Then, as if Ken Loach were put in charge of the Ocean’s Eleven franchise, the plot takes a lurch into heist movie territory, with Sadie cracking a plot to break into parliament.

Enter government minister Michael Harrington (Tom Knight). He’s...

"It's gonna take more than two women to walk in off the street and rob the House of Parliament!" Will it? Workbus Films in the UK has revealed an official trailer for an indie heist thriller called The Whip, arriving in UK cinemas this September. For anyone unaware of how the UK government works, the title The Whip is a reference to the "Chief Whip" - the leader of the governing party in the House of Commons, with great power over the cabinet, being seen to speak at all times on behalf of the Prime Minister. Well timed with this trailer dropping around the same time as the big UK vote. With the looming threat of devastating welfare reforms, a full-time carer plots a daring heist from the Houses of Parliament in a bid to thwart the scheme, and bring the government crashing down with it. Their goal: to steal...