Netflix is the reel deal for Paddy

Award-winning independent Offaly filmmaker Paddy Slattery has scored his biggest coup so far with news that his latest movie is to be screened on Netflix later this month.

The movie, ‘Broken Law,’ which was written and directed by the Clonbullogue native, will be available to stream on Netflix from January 13 across Ireland and the UK, with a European release scheduled for later this year.

“Netflix is the real deal,” said a delighted Paddy this week.“And in a roundabout way the timing of the release is very fortuitous as everybody is stuck at home due to the Covid restrictions, and people are watching more TV than ever.”

‘Broken Law’ was released in cinemas during the summer of last year, and while it was very well received and was the highest-grossing Irish movie of 2020, Paddy Slattery says it made just 20% of what he would have expected due to the ongoing impact of Covid restrictions on the entertainment industry which saw all cinemas having to close their doors again within three months.

Described as “a taut and tense thriller that examines family loyalty, legacy and how far we will go to protect the ones we love”, the new movie tells the story of two estranged brothers on opposite sides of the law. Dave Connolly is a respected member of the Gardai, but his loyalty to the force undergoes a severe test when his ex-convict brother, Joe, becomes involved in a botched robbery.

“This is fasten your seat belt stuff,” says the Clonbullogue filmmaker. “It is basically a generic, urban crime drama but with lots of tense and gripping moments, so I think, and hope, that people will find it very enjoyable to watch.”

The movie has received high praise from many quarters since it was first premiered in the Spring of last year at the Dublin Film Festival, with the Guardian newspaper describing it as “a headbutt of a thriller” and Joe.ie saying it was “a deadly directorial debut.” Cineeuropa said Paddy Slattery’s debut was “a must-see.”

The film stars Tristan Heanue, who has appeared in Vikings, Game of Thrones and Fair City; Graham Earley (Cardboard Gangsters); John Connors (Love/Hate) and Gemma Leah Devereux (The Tudors).

Paddy himself says he knew he was “onto a winner” when the movie was first screened. “We sold out the IMAX in Dublin and it was extremely well received, but Covid played a huge part in ensuring that it didn’t get the exposure it deserved,” he said.

That’s why he says the Netflix deal is the “icing on the cake” for any independent filmmaker, adding that it is “an uphill battle” for an independent filmmaker to get his work noticed in the very competitive film industry.

“90% of all movies that are made actually never get seen,” he says “and while you do need the talent, you also have to make sure that your work is brought to the attention of the right people and gets the exposure it deserves.”

Irish film distribution company, Breakout Pictures, handle all of Paddy Slattery’s work, and are responsible for the Netflix deal, which he says is “the dream result” for everyone who has worked on ‘Broken Law.’

“The movie was filmed in inner-city Dublin and was made on a shoestring, and it is actually very rare for an independent company and a film of this size to end up being streamed on Netflix, so we are all just over the moon,” he says.

Having worked initially in the music industry – and releasing one album – Paddy Slattery turned his hand to filmmaking just ten years ago, and since then he has won numerous awards for his work. “I always loved both music and film,” he admits, “and I harboured a dream of one day being a successful filmmaker, but I was under no illusions as to how hard it is to make it in such a competitive industry.”

With one of the world’s largest streaming services due to screen the Clonbullogue man’s standout work of 2020, Paddy Slattery is well on his way to being a force to be reckoned with on the national and international film scene in the future!