IFC Films has acquired a new action film titled Mayhem! and it seems like it’s going to deliver a mindblowing movie experience! The film comes from director Xavier Gens and according to Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks’ Film Group:“Xavier Gens has crafted an energetic and propulsive film, showcasing some of the most impressive fight choreography we have ever seen.”Well, that sounds freakin’ great! He went on to hype the movie, saying:“While winking at films like The Raid and Taken, Xavier has made a film which stands on its own as an iconic new member of the hand-to-hand action canon. We are thrilled to be working with the immensely talented team to bring this riveting story to theaters.”Mayhem! was shot in France and Thailand, and it stars Nassim Lyes as Sam. In the story, when Sam gets out of prison, “he finds it difficult to escape the reach of a local gang lord. He heads to Thailand, but searching for a kidnapped family member brings him square into the bullseye of the underbelly he was trying to escape.”Gens went on to talk about the main character of the film and the story, saying:“Sam possesses exceptional boxing skills and uses them to earn a living and rationalize his survival in prison. However, what truly matters to him is his ability to emerge as a virtuous individual. He yearns to embody the roles of a devoted husband and a loving father.“Unfortunately, life has a way of snatching these aspirations away from him. It’s an exploration of someone battling to change their life and seize a different destiny. This profound desire to achieve personal redemption gives this narrative a deep and relatable quality.”Gens also wrote the script for the film with Magali Rossitto and Guillaume Lemans. When talking about coming up with the development of the story, he said:“I devoted a considerable amount of time engaging in conversations with authentic prisoners, contemplating the changes they would make if granted a second chance. The prevailing themes that emerged from these discussions revolved around the significance of family, the pursuit of redemption and the inherent pull towards ill-fated choices.“Interestingly, the desire to start afresh or embark on a new life in a foreign land, such as Thailand, also held its allure.”When talking about the action in the movie, which will obviously be a highlight, Gens’ Gangs of London collaborator and second unit director Jude Poyer, helped him shape action scenes. He said: “We would always focus on the emotions driving the action,” and said the “equilibrium between action, violence and emotion” was always on their minds:“Thanks to this process, each scene resonates with Sam’s emotional state, but it also evokes the intended response from the audience. For example, his first fight in Paris, which coincides with a dramatic event that ultimately makes him leave France, had to deliver a visceral impact. Similarly, when it came to portraying his first experience of taking a life, we aimed to create a moment of jarring violence and shock.“Witnessing the audience’s responses during screenings, particularly during these moments, is a source of great joy.” The director went on to talk about the tone of the film and what he was going for, saying:“I wanted to fashion a contemporary Western: a tale that reverberates with timeless themes and embodies the essence of frontier exploration. But instead of the sun-soaked landscapes of the American West, the territories I decided to traverse resided in Southeast Asia.“This expedition, both visually and emotionally, allows the viewers to transcend the confines of their seats, transporting them to a new realm unbounded by the constraints of convention.”This sounds like it’s going to be an incredibly awesome movie-going experience and I can’t wait to watch it! Mayhem! will be released in 2024.Source: Variety