Â
TOM BENEDICT KNIGHT
“I think anyone who likes action, gaming, or shoot ’em up movies will love this film.”
TOM BENEDICT KNIGHT is a rising star in the film industry; with roles in major pictures like DRACULA UNTOLD, as well as smaller independent films such as THE CALL UP. He is currently going through a transitional phase in his acting career, portraying characters he may not have even considered before. He discusses his career and his role in THE CALL UP with Film & TV Now.
“It’s a clever and strong commercial idea, with an audience that would be keen to view just because it was game based… I liked how it had a solid story, one that had a definable arc that got the viewer engaged and then kept them with the story until the end.”
The Call Up focuses on a group of avid gamers who enter a competition to win $100,000 as well as try out the latest in virtual reality gaming technology. They soon realise they will be forced to complete the game and could lose their lives in the process. Tom’s role is as the feisty Marco, who’s competitive nature is evident throughout the story. The gaming aspect to this film is obviously central, but Tom was not entirely familiar with this medium when he was cast:
“I’m not a huge gamer, I did do my research and tried a few games out, which I sucked at, but soldiered on to know I’d at least tried!”
This role is one of his most prominent in his career so far and he was glad to see his character have so much depth and growth throughout the film. Marco is a very argumentative and impulsive person who becomes more and more volatile as the stakes get higher. This type of character is something which Tom was not used to portraying, but ultimately enjoyed:
“The idea of it made me feel a bit uncomfortable but then, surprisingly, becoming the character felt quite natural, that might sound worrying but it’s true, it was easy for me to tap the darker side of me and bring that up underneath the script’s dialogue to give him the depth Marco needed.”
Marco appears to be the most fleshed-out character in The Call Up, with a very clear character arc. With a character that goes through a lot of dramatic changes, Tom was glad to be a part of this film and wanted to make sure he did his character and the film justice:
“To do new and more challenging stuff is such a wonderful gift… It could easily be two-dimensional and not believable if done wrong, so I wanted to make sure I got his transformation from unlikable to monster just right.”
The Call Up’s target audience is presumably fans of games and those who enjoy sci-fi/action genres. However, Tom believes fans of British independent films should also give this film a try:
“I think anyone who likes action, gaming, or shoot ’em up movies will love this film. It’s also a British indy with bold designs and I think that people will enjoy it and should support a British film that’s really going for it to appeal to the US market.”
 THE CALL UP is out now on DVD.
