“You can empathise with even the very worst of people if you know about their history”: Neil Maskell on revenge thrilller Bull

Bull is the quietly terrifying and brutal revenge thriller from BAFTA-winning writer-director Paul Andrew Williams (London to Brighton). Channelling something of the gritty backdrop and ruthless vengeful streak of Dead Man’s Shoes, it follows Bull, a man who returns to his hometown after ten years to ruthlessly track down, one by one, the members of a gang and his ex-wife who betrayed him and separated him from his beloved estranged son. As he chillingly states: “I’m coming for all of them.”

Neil Maskell (Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, Kill List) puts in a blistering performance as Bull, playing him with a convincing and simmering rage, yet always somehow remains an empathetic protagonist, while David Hayman (Taboo, Vertical Limit), as vicious mob boss Norm and Bull’s ex-father-in-law, powerfully reflects the vice-like hold such a soulless man can hold over a deprived community, with devastating consequences. Depravity and savagery run through almost all the characters and xtheir actions, but the forward propulsion of this tense stripped-back thriller means it’s impossible not to watch till the last.

The Upcoming had a brilliant chat with the film’s star, Maskell, ahead of the film’s release about wanting to work with Williams, how he prepared for the role, the challenges of shooting through the pandemic and on a low budget, plus his future projects, including directing his own film.

We also spoke to Maskell on the red carpet at the London Film Festival about the film and revenge thrillers.

While the film’s director also shared his insights into the making of Bull.

Sarah Bradbury

Bull is released digitally on demand on 8^th April 2022.

Watch the trailer for Bull here: