{{short description|2018 Canadian film directed by Rafal Sokolowski}} {{Infobox film | name = 22 Chaser | image = 22 Chaser film poster 2018.jpeg | alt = | caption = Official poster | director = Rafal Sokolowski | producer = [[Don Carmody]]<br>Daniel Beckerman<br>[[Aeschylus Poulos]] | screenplay = Jeremy Boxen | based_on = | starring = [[Brian J. Smith]]<br>[[Raoul Trujillo]]<br>[[Aaron Ashmore]]<br>[[Kaniehtiio Horn]]<br>[[John Kapelos]] | music = Igor Vrabac<br>Ken Worth | cinematography = Cabot McNenly | editing = Kye Meechan<br>Jane McRae | studio = [[Canadian Film Centre|CFC Features]]<br>[[Don Carmody Productions]]<br>Hawkeye Pictures<br>Scythia Films | distributor = Level Film | released = {{Film date|2018|04|12|[[Toronto]]|2018|07|06|Canada}} | runtime = 90 minutes | country = Canada | language = English | budget = | gross = }}
'''''22-Chaser''''' is a 2018 [[Canada|Canadian]] thriller drama film directed by Rafal Sokolowski, written by Jeremy Boxen, and starring [[Brian J. Smith]], [[Raoul Trujillo]], [[Aaron Ashmore]], [[Kaniehtiio Horn]], and [[John Kapelos]]. The story centers on a tow truck driver who has to decide whether to abandon his moral code in order to provide for his family. Produced by [[Don Carmody]], Daniel Beckerman, and [[Aeschylus Poulos]], it was released on July 6, 2018, in Canada.
==Plot== Ben Dankert works as a [[Toronto]] tow truck driver picking up illegally parked cars. His family is in financial trouble with his wife using [[food bank]]s and his son being bullied for being poor. Meanwhile, Ben's tow truck competitors make big money as "chasers", racing to accidents and exploiting the victims with tolls, and add-on services. His boss offers the prospect of a profitable Police contract but demands a large rental payment for the truck which Ben cannot afford. Then his friend persuades him to take a $5000 loan from a corrupt police officer with a sideline as a loan-shark. To pay back the loan Ben has to decide whether to abandon his moral code and become a "chaser", going head to head with unscrupulous rivals, some of whom are violent psychopaths.
==Cast== {{div col|colwidth=22em}} *[[Brian J. Smith]] as Ben Dankert *[[Raoul Trujillo]] as Wayne (Raoul Max Trujillo) *[[Aaron Ashmore]] as Sean *[[Kaniehtiio Horn]] as Avery Dankert *[[John Kapelos]] as Bissey *[[Shaun Benson]] as Elvis *[[Aidan Devine]] as Ray *Jack Fulton as Zach Dankert *[[Lisa Codrington]] as Connie *Wole Darmola as Kaleb *[[Thom Allison]] as Teeny *Sonya Cote as Rhonda Bissey {{div col end}}
==Production== [[File:22 Chaser at the National Canadian Film Day - 2018 (27693997788).jpg|thumb|right|Wole Darmola, Shaun Benson, Rafal Sokolowski, Tiio Horn and Aidan Devine at the premiere of ''22 Chaser'' on National Canadian Film Day 2018 at Scotiabank Theatre]]
''22 Chaser'' is the directorial debut feature film of Rafal Sokolowski, a film and theatre director and assistant professor of film at [[Ohio University]].<ref name=ohioedu>{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204014543/https://www.ohio.edu/fine-arts/news/22-chaser-director-faculty-sokolowski|title="22 Chaser" with Director, and Ohio Film Faculty, Sokolowski | Ohio University|website=www.ohio.edu via internet archive|date=5 October 2018 |access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref><ref name=nowtoronto>{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190309230257/https://nowtoronto.com/movies/reviews/22-chaser-rafal-sokolowski/|title=Review: 22 Chaser could use a bit more speed|first=Norman|last=Wilner|date=July 4, 2018|website=NOW Magazine via internet archive|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref> It was developed, financed and produced through the [[Canadian Film Centre]]'s CFC Features program.<ref name=cfc>{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701155519/http://cfccreates.com/news/882-22-chaser-special-presentation-draws-sold-out-crowd-on-national-canadian-film-day|title='22 CHASER' Special Presentation Draws Sold Out Crowd on National Canadian Film Day|website=cfccreates.com via internet archive|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref> The central theme of the story is the crisis of masculinity in the modern world.<ref name=ohioosof>{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628144222/http://ousof.com/blog/2015/11/ou-film-professor-wraps-production-on-feature-film|title=O.U. FILM PROFESSOR RAFAL SOKOLOWSKI DIRECTS BRIAN J. SMITH ("SENSE8") IN NEW FEATURE FILM: "22 CHASER"|website=Underground Ohio University Film via internet archive|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref> This is conveyed through the contrast and tensions between the main character's two lives - the dangerous and brutal work of chasing accidents and his private family life at home.<ref name=ohioosof/> Following this theme, writer Jeremy Boxen took care to first create the family drama so that the audience would appreciate the motivations and emotional conflicts in the tow-truck storyline.<ref name=cfc/> The characters of the chasers were designed to have evolved from their extreme and violent surroundings.<ref name=ohioosof/>
To research the story, Sokolowski took several nights accompanying various tow truck "chasers" in their work. He commented on his experiences: " ... I was intimidated to arrive at the scene of an accident where real tears, real stress, real tragedy unfolds, and these truck drivers dive in - and some of them are amazing heroes and some of them find a way to squeeze a buck out of human tragedy. ... "<ref name=cfc/> Sokolowski also described the casting of Brian J. Smith as the best casting decision of his career as Smith quickly produced a naturalistic and deep characterisation.<ref name=ohioosof/>
Production began in 2015 and was centred in [[Toronto]], Canada.<ref name=playback>{{Cite web|url=https://playbackonline.ca/2018/04/12/levelfilm-acquires-cfc-features-22-chaser/|title=LevelFilm acquires CFC Features' 22 Chaser|work=playbackonline.com|access-date=March 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906063547/http://playbackonline.ca/2018/04/12/levelfilm-acquires-cfc-features-22-chaser/|archive-date=September 6, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=cfc/> Some of the challenges were the use of sophisticated technology, a large cast, many road scenes filmed at night with multiple cameras, a fleet of 39 vehicles and complex stunt scenes.<ref name=ohioosof/><ref name=cfc/> Sokolowski shared credit for meeting these challenges with the pre-filming work of the creative producers, [[cinematographer|director of photography]] and his team, and the departmental heads. While for the action scenes he credited the [[stunt coordinator]], stunt drivers and [[stunt performers]].<ref name=ohioosof/> For filming the family scenes, long detailed single shots were used for realism, while the editing was aimed at balancing the two narratives. Sokolowski' s direction included detailed rehearsals with the cast.<ref name=ohioosof/><ref name=cfc/>
==Release== ''22 Chaser'' premiered as part of National Canadian Film Day on April 18, 2018, at Scotiabank Theatre, Toronto.<ref name=playback/> It was released on DVD and streaming on July 17, 2018, and had a theatrical release from October 12, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/22_chaser|title=22 Chaser (2018)|via=www.rottentomatoes.com|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref>
==Reception== In his review of ''22 Chaser'' for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', Noel Murray praised the story and its realistic themes but felt the character of Ben was too intelligent and capable to have fallen into such a predicament. He commented: " ... Its a reasonably grabby tale despite its familiarity and trying too hard to make its milieu menacing ... ".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-capsule-22-chaser-review-20181011-story.html|title=Review: Driving a tow truck can be dangerous business in crime drama '22 Chaser'|date=October 11, 2018|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=March 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018191213/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-capsule-22-chaser-review-20181011-story.html|archive-date=October 18, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Reviewing for [[Now (newspaper)|Now Toronto]], Norman Wilner complimented the visual style of the direction, the performances, cinematography and pacing of the story but criticized a lack of energy and a still atmosphere. He considered: " ... Rafal Sokolowski's 22 Chaser is a great-looking, entirely respectable first feature. It's not nearly as compelling as it wants to be but it's always watchable. ... ".<ref name =nowtoronto/> Andrew Parker, for [[TheGATE.ca|The Gate]], gave a score of 8 from 10, praising the direction, cinematography, the tension of the story, and the actors, particularly Smith. He commented: " ... The characters collide with each other perfectly, leading to an increasingly complex plot that feels earned and organic. .... ".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegate.ca/film/034607/review-22-chaser/|title=Review: 22 Chaser|work=TheGate.ca|date=July 5, 2018|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref>
==Awards== The film's editors, Kye Meechan and Jane McCrae, were nominated for the [[Canadian Cinema Editors]] Award for Best Editing in a Feature Film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405084347/https://www.cceditors.ca/articles/8th-annual-cce-awards-nominations|title=8th Annual CCE Awards - Nominations!|website=CCE via internet archive}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|tt5130442}}
[[Category:2018 films]] [[Category:Canadian thriller films]] [[Category:Films set in Toronto]] [[Category:English-language Canadian films]] [[Category:2018 thriller films]] [[Category:2018 English-language films]] [[Category:2018 Canadian films]] [[Category:English-language thriller films]]