Private Project

Sleeper Hold

Kidnapped and dumped in the wilderness with nothing but his suit and a half-eaten sleeve of crackers, a businessman must survive an absurd cat-and-mouse game with his backwoods captor — a confrontation that exposes class rage and how a broken economic system turns ordinary Americans against each other.

  • Joel David Watson
    Director
    What Emmy Saw, The @$$hole, Outpost, Bubble Quandary
  • Joel David Watson
    Writer
  • Joel David Watson
    Producer
  • Shelli Ryan
    Producer
    Kina, Jake's Closet
  • JR Reed
    Key Cast
    "Mitchell"
    Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny
  • Mark Kelly
    Key Cast
    "Mikey"
    The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, Mad Men, Buster's Mal Heart, Fear the Walking Dead, Jakob's Wife
  • Peter Alton
    Cinematographer
    Buddymoon, Science Fair, Mucho Mucho Amor
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Comedy, thriller, action, crime
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 41 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 21, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    6K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Distribution Information
  • Circus Road / Glen Reynolds
    Sales Agent
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Joel David Watson

Spawned in small town Indiana before trundling off to Hollywood, Joel made Jake’s Closet, his first feature film as a producer, in 2005. In the years since, despite half a dozen false starts, his dream of writing and directing his own feature film would continue to elude him. 20+ years of editing in the reality TV trenches and raising two children followed, but it would take a devastating collapse in the Film and TV industry to give Joel the (surprise!) free time necessary to finally make his feature film debut. But even moreso, his harsh encounter with the fickle nature of modern capitalism also gave him the inspiration for the film. So with less than a handful of long time friends and fellow artists, Joel plunged into the San Bernardino woods hoping to catch a sliver of lightning in a bottle. The result is a film called Sleeper Hold.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Ever been kicked in the teeth by the system? The one you’ve been paying dues to for decades at work? The one whose rules you’ve followed since you stood up from that tiny kindergarten desk and delivered the pledge of allegiance? My crew and I, like so many other in showbiz, felt that kick in the chompers when the TV industry threw up its collective hands in 2023 and dramatically slashed production over the following two years. That record downturn left a sizable chunk of its participants with half the income they used to have or sometimes none at all. These were careers (mine included) left in tatters by technology, Wall Street recklessness and outsourcing.

That poke in the chops is at the heart of Sleeper Hold, a story that’s about much more than a kidnapping. It’s about promises made and not delivered upon, the anger that follows and the partisan rage that can inspire, leaving Americans at odds with one another while the top .1% continues to gobble up what’s left.