The Hit that Hit Back

Azazel (Paul Pirkle), an aging hitman who’s value in his profession seeps by the second, sits at his dining room on a Christmas Eve, alone and cursed with the burden of having to had kill his own sister. The two, taken in as kids with the promise of security and the health of their mother, grew up to be hitmen for the treacherous Abaddon, a self-proclaimed king of the underworld. However, his promises wore thin, and the sister, realizing what Abaddon truly was, forced Azazel to pick a side…
Now, it’s his turn to be retired, and a poisoned, gifted whiskey seeks to remove Azazel as a variable from the Abaddon equation. However, as he begins to experience his last moments alive, the ghost of his first ever hit (Jose Jeres), never named in person but known as Jeremiah to us, returns back to taunt Azazel in his fumbling for a cure.

What will become of Azazel? What is Jeremiah’s goal? Will Abaddon wipe the palate clean or has he made an enemy out of an old companion?

  • Brennan Nicolas Cregan
    Director
  • Brennan Nicolas Cregan
    Writer
  • Haley Bradley
    Producer
  • Brennan Nicolas Cregan
    Producer
  • Paul Pirkle
    Key Cast
    "Azazel"
  • Jose Jeres
    Key Cast
    "Jeremiah Jerez"
  • Dana Kinney
    Key Cast
    "The Sister"
  • Cameron Smith
    Director of Photography
  • Abigail Gaydos
    Production Designer
  • Ian Garner
    Sound Recordist
  • Jeff Sillemon
    Sound Recordist
  • Project Type:
    Student
  • Genres:
    Action, Thriller, Dark Comedy
  • Completion Date:
    May 5, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Colorado Denver
Director Biography - Brennan Nicolas Cregan

Brennan is a third year student at the University of Colorado Denver currently pursuing a degree in Film and Television along with the rest of the crew. A transfer student from University of Colorado Boulder, he initially sought to work in Computer Science before seeking a major focused in editing and sound work on films. Mostly doing personal work creating short videos and editing online, he has also done directorial work as with the short silent film Don’t Worry About It and worked as the sound recordist/sound editor as well as co-producer on the student psychological drama Child of Light. Besides writing, directing and co-producing THTHB, this year he also worked other student productions as a sound recordist on the horror film "La Loba", a PA/Boom Op on the ambitious medieval timepiece "Ironhold", the VFX artist on the comedy horror "Party Foul", and as Assistant Director on drama musical "A Meaning for Suffering". The Hit That Hit Back will be his first full production directorial debut.

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Director Statement

When I was envisioning this script, it was hard to truly place into words every little detail I wanted to squeeze from my brainstorming. I’m not always the best at putting forth concepts into fully realized formats for others to experience. That being said this was a concept I worked over an workshopped endlessly with my crew and I couldn’t be prouder of how it transformed from concept into actuality.

The taunts of the wetworker cut off by a sudden face in the crack of a door, a dead man walking and ringing shots into the night as he refuses to go gently into that goodnight. The match cuts from a disoriented, hopeless old man to an injured child, crying for his mother. This film is a trip, designed to keep the audience on its toes every step of the way while delivering some damn amazing cinematography, production design, and sound design work to compliment the hectic atmosphere.

I’m excited to finally get to show of my directorial debut, as well as all the effort the crew put in to make it happy, but more than that I’m excited for audiences to have as damn a good time watching it as we did making it.