Written and Directed by Ric Roman Waugh
Produced by BOLD Films in association with PARTICIPANT MEDIA
A newly released prison gangster is forced by the leaders of his gang to orchestrate a major crime with a brutal rival gang on the streets of Southern California.
Bold Films has come on board to produce and fully finance Ric Roman Waugh’s crime thriller “Shot Caller,” which will begin shooting May 26 in New Mexico...Waugh, who broke into the business as a stuntman, wrote and directed “Snitch” and “Felon.” He went undercover as a volunteer parole agent in California to research prison gangs for his “Shot Caller” script.
No one knew I was a filmmaker,” said Waugh. “They just saw me as a rookie cop, so nothing was censored. What I quickly learned is the guards might control the doors and gates, but the gangs run the prisons… and they run the streets as well, directly from prison. ‘Shot Caller’ is an authentic look at our prison gangs and the law enforcement professionals who guard them inside prison walls.”
- Dave McNary, Variety, April 28,2015
It actually intercuts two distinct time periods. The film begins with Jacob being released from prison after a 10-year term, then takes us back to his charmed life before he was imprisoned. These two time periods are intercut effectively throughout the film, and the editing allows us to appreciate the range of Coster-Waldau’s performance. He conveys a strong masculine presence in both sections of the film, and it is fascinating to watch his transformation from privileged family man to hardened con.
- Stephen Farber, Hollywood Reporter, June 19, 2017