Private Project

Mum's The Word

Upon hearing about her vast improvement, a retired CBT therapist visits one of her past patients. Over a cup of tea, dark secrets and suspicious occurrences threaten to surface.

  • Jake Metcalf
    Director
    By My Side
  • Sophia MacDonnell
    Writer
  • Jake Metcalf
    Writer
    By My Side
  • Jake Metcalf
    Producer
    By My Side
  • Sophia MacDonnell
    Producer
  • Cathy Wippell
    Key Cast
    "Angela"
    Denmark Doesn't Exist, Black Samphire
  • Samantha Sherratt
    Key Cast
    "Helen"
    The Forgotten City
  • Sam Ebner-Landy
    Key Cast
    "Richard"
    Seven Jewish Children, Otto's Summer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Horror
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 31, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    500 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    5:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jake Metcalf

Jake Metcalf is a British Writer, Director and Producer based in Manchester, England. He is best know for his live-action work, particularly his most recent, accredited short film as Writer, Director and Producer, 'By My Side'. The film's most notable achievements being Winner of the Josh Jarvis Award for Cinematography, judged by Sir Roger Deakins and his team, Finalist at Watersprite film festival, and in competition at BIFA accredited Manchester International Film Festival.

Jake is currently producing a stop-motion animation alongside BAFTA-winner Chris Hees and submitting his latest live-action, horror debut, 'Mum's the Word', to festivals.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a director, it was my first exploration into the horror genre. With my comfort being in drama, it was important to me to have an equally compelling protagonist, antagonist etc. with morally diverse principles driving the story, as well as a terrifying scare!

So when I read Sophia MacDonnell's script, I was instantly hooked. I loved how the script was grounded with themes of depression and motherhood, how Sophia played with the power dynamics between therapist and patient and how she tantalised every detail to leave the audience on edge. We took inspiration from the Netflix Black Mirror series, and their methods of telling gut-wrenching stories in limited time.

Cathy Wippell, embodied the character of Angela. Having previously worked with actors like Stephen Fry, and a novice with the horror genre, I was confident that she would be able to visualise Angela. We worked together to fashion a protagonist that should, due to her profession, exude confidence, but instead shows great vulnerability and how this transforms through the story.

The whole cast and crew put their hearts into this film, and I can't thank them enough. I hope that you enjoy the film!