Hot off the back of its critically acclaimed US release, Evolutionary Films are releasing Andrew Gibson’s award-winning counter culture film GUTTERBUG in the UK on 7th September 2020.
Homelessness, drugs and toxic friends hold a tight grip on ‘Bug’ as he tries to return home on his 21st birthday. Described as having “cult classic written all over it” with numerous comparisons to the smash hit Trainspotting “both in subject and in quality”, GUTTERBUG is a film about a young man’s human experience as he struggles with the demands of conformity.
After running away from home, ‘Bug’ finds his place in the underbelly of society, among the counter culture of anti-establishment street punks.
But three years later, ‘Bug’ hits rock bottom when he is pulled from a wrecked car and revived in the back of an ambulance - only to awaken the next morning handcuffed to a hospital bed.
Unbeknownst to ‘Bug’, he’s closer to home than he’s been in years. Lost in a fog of pain medication, ‘Bug’ revisits memories from before the accident, journeying through the high times of his “crust punk” life: in short “sex, drugs and rock and roll.”
But eventually, the high wears off and untreated depression, rejection, and suicidal ideation set in. On his 21st birthday, his new companion, Jenny - who has her own demons - asks ‘Bug’ how he wants to spend his special day. Through the haze, he has a moment of clarity: “I want to go home.” From there, ‘Bug’ and his crew of misfits lead us down an adrenaline packed, drug-fuelled adventure to return to the life he left behind.
Set and filmed in Allston, Boston, GUTTERBUG features a standout soundtrack and stellar performances...
Set and filmed in Allston, Boston, GUTTERBUG features a standout soundtrack and stellar performances from the principle cast Andrew Yackel is truly electrifying as ‘Bug’ in a performance as forceful as it is heartbreaking; Justin Pietropaolo is extraordinary as he plays the unhinged ‘Slim’ who can go from fun to terrifying in an instant; and ‘Bug’ and his girlfriend Jenny, who is played by Hannah Mosqueda, have a strong, relatable on screen chemistry which is evident as soon as she enters ‘Bug’s’ life.
On the festival circuit, Gutterbug picked up multiple nominations across numerous filmfestivals and won the Audience Award and Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature Film at Woods Hole Film Festival; the Grand Prize for RIIFF New England Directors Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival; and the Grand Jury Award for a Feature Film at Dances with Films.
Evolutionary Films’ Managing Director, Diane Shorthouse, said:
“We’re very excited to be releasing such a hard-hitting, gritty, counter culture movie, that deals with themes like homelessness, mental health, drug addiction, family and violence. Ultimately though, GUTTERBUG is a story about a young man’s quest to get home because, despite everything, he realises his pull to the life he left behind is stronger than any of the excitement he experienced since running away.”
GUTTERBUG is release in the UK on 7th September 2020.
