In the age of social media, we find words like toxic, as well as me too being used more and more. The treatment of women has always been topical, however we now find ourselves asking what affect this has on men. Toxic masculinity seems to be on the rise and it is almost glorified on social media as an example young men should lead by. Ben Tricklebank (Clouds Over Cuba) explores this in his debut live action film, Champ. 

This 13 minute short explores the story of 14 year old Jake (Kingston Vernes) who is at the cusp of being thought of as a mature man. His father (Drew Powell, The Mentalist/Gotham) who is desperately pushing his son to be a man, does not see that his version of a man is toxic and unhealthy for a young impressionable mind. Although Jakes fathers words seem kind and caring they are coming from a place of true toxicity.

Although Jakes fathers words seem kind and caring they are coming from a place of true toxicity

Under the expert direction of Tricklebank, Kingston Vernes being such a young actor really manages to capture the essence of the character captivating the audience.  Through his mature performance, you can really feel the emotional turmoil Jake is living in. 

Under the expert direction of Tricklebank, Kingston Vernes being such a young actor really manages to capture the essence of the character captivating the audience.

Two time Emmy award winner Ben Tricklebank has really outdone himself with this short film, it has a dark deep rooted message about the way young men should be taught to behave, through a sense of good natured talk. Champ is an example of a masterpiece in directing. This film is being considered for an Oscar and we hope Academy members find this as Oscar worthy as we do. 

Champ is an example of a masterpiece in directing

Regina Mahmoud