This film is part of Rentals

Painkiller
A black comedy which sees street-smart Dominic’s attempt at armed robbery come unstuck when he meets a suicidal taxi driver with nothing left to lose.
Director: Mustapha Kseibati
Overview
A black comedy which sees street-smart Dominic’s attempt at armed robbery in a convenience store come unstuck when he meets hardworking Jay, a suicidal taxi driver with nothing left to lose. Mutual contempt soon turns into a kind of understanding. Although this may not be life-saving for Jay, it may well be life-changing for Dominic
A short film produced by B3 Media & BBC Writersroom as part of Cineast Digital Shorts programme, which aimed to develop and produce films from a new wave of emerging talent in the UK’s East and Southeast Asian diaspora. The scheme's Executive Producers were Marc Boothe & Kate Rowland.
Related

Cloud Cloud
Drama 2024 124 mins Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
An online scam leads to deadly consequences in Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s chilling tech thriller.

The Crime is Mine The Crime is Mine
Thriller 2022 103 mins Director: François Ozon
François Ozon’s witty 1930s farce about a penniless actress who finds fame while on trial for murder, featuring a riotous performance from Isabelle Huppert.

Kathleen Is Here Kathleen Is Here
Thriller 2023 95 mins Director: Eva Birthistle
Riveting debut from acclaimed Irish actor Eva Birthistle, about a young care leaver on a destructive path to find a new mother figure.

The Critic The Critic
Thriller 2023 101 mins Director: Anand Tucker
Ian McKellen is in delicious form as London's most vicious critic, who strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actor (Gemma Arterton).

Night Courier (Mandoob) Night Courier (Mandoob)
Comedy 2023 112 mins Director: Ali Kalthami
A desperate delivery driver gets caught up in the dark underworld of Riyadh in Ali Kalthami’s gripping, pitch-black satire.

Official Secrets Official Secrets
Thriller 2018 112 mins Director: Gavin Hood
Gripping political thriller with Keira Knightley as the intelligence officer who discovers a plot to rig a UN vote on the eve of the Iraq war.

My Dad the Communist My Dad the Communist
Drama 2009 17 mins Director: Lab Ky Mo
Tony yearns to break down the cultural barriers between him and his inscrutable Chinese father, before it’s too late.

A New Kind of Wilderness A New Kind of Wilderness
Documentary 2023 84 mins Director: Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
A tragedy shatters the idyllic world of a family living off-grid in the Norwegian wilderness.

Riefenstahl Riefenstahl
Documentary 2024 115 mins Director: Andreas Veiel
Captivating insight into the controversial filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, who became world-famous for her Nazi propaganda.

Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story
Documentary 2025 100 mins Director: Sinéad O'Shea
A candid portrait of a literary sensation that’s as enchanting as O’Brien’s wonderful novels.

The Penguin Lessons The Penguin Lessons
Drama 2025 112 mins Director: Peter Cattaneo
Steve Coogan is superb as a disillusioned teacher whose life is turned upside-down when he rescues a penguin in turbulent 1970s Argentina.

Cloud Cloud
Drama 2024 124 mins Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
An online scam leads to deadly consequences in Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s chilling tech thriller.

La Cocina La Cocina
Drama 2024 139 mins Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios
Tensions rise in a frenzied New York diner, in this loose reworking of Arnold Wesker’s 1957 play.