The new crime comedy called “The Shakedown” will be making history by becoming the first all-South African movie on Amazon Prime.
Viewers are in for a lagbol action-packed film starring some of Mzansi’s favourite faces, including Jack Parow, David Isaacs, Emmanuel Castis, Julia Anastasopoulos, Milton Schoorm, James Borthwick and newcomer Berenice Barbier.
The new fliek also features the LA-based Carl Beukes and is set to hit South African screens next month.
The black comedy follows the story of Justin Diamond, a respected medical aid broker who finds himself entangled in the Cape Town underworld after his jolmeit threatens to reveal their affair.
The plot thickens as Justin’s desperate attempts to maintain his golden boy reputation lead him down a path filled with dangerous criminals, mistaken identities, and comic mishaps.
Justin teams up with the family’s black sheep, his brother Dovi, to handle the escalating chaos.
Director and co-writer Ari Kruger, a filmmaker renowned for his work on the hit web-series SuzelleDIY and the multi-award winning Tali’s Diary on Showmax, says: “It was a great privilege to be a part of this project.
“Working with the team from Amazon was incredible. They supported our vision from the get-go and really believed in the potential of the film as well as the potential of the South African film industry.
“We really do have a world-class film industry and it felt really affirming to have Amazon’s support to get the film onto an international stage.”
Kruger makes his directorial debut on this feature film, and hailed the cast selection as the perfect fit.
He says: “The casting directors cast the net wide to try and find the right people to fit the world and the characters.
“It took many callbacks and chemistry tests to find the leads.
“So many talented actors were put forward and it was an incredibly difficult process. But once Carl and Emmanuel came together, things just seemed to fall into place so organically.
“Their chemistry was so strong and they embodied the characters just as we had imagined.”
Kruger’s accolades include three Best Comedy Director wins at the South African Film & Television Awards for his work on Tali’s Diary.
His diverse portfolio also includes directing award-winning short films, TV commercials and comedy specials for Nik Rabinowitz and Marc Lottering.
“The Shakedown” is set to premiere on Prime Video on August 8.