Joe Cole, the actor known for his roles in popular British shows like Black Mirror and Peaky Blinders, stars in a new, visually striking action thriller called He Bled Neon. The film will premiere on March 16th at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Cole plays Ethan, a man returning to Las Vegas for his brother’s funeral, where he begins to suspect foul play. As he investigates, he’s forced to confront a dangerous past he believed he had left behind.
Drew Kirsch, a filmmaker from San Diego, makes his first feature film with He Bled Neon. He’s known for directing music videos over the past ten years for artists like Taylor Swift, Lil Yachty, and Shakira. The movie is a brisk 85 minutes long, promising a fast-paced, action-filled story with a driving electronic soundtrack created by DJ Zhu and composer Joseph Trapanese.
The film’s cast includes British singer Rita Ora, former NFL player Marshawn Lynch, Paul Wesley from The Vampire Diaries, Ismael Cruz Córdova, and Josh Holloway. It’s produced by XYZ Films, an independent film company based in Los Angeles known for international action, sci-fi, and thriller movies. Their past work includes the critically acclaimed Indonesian film The Raid: Redemption (2011) and the Philippine neo-noir film On the Job (2013).
The trailer for He Bled Neon starts with a close-up of someone’s eye opening suddenly, then quickly cuts to scenes of gunplay, fistfights, and drug use.
Cole is known for playing characters in distinctly British dramas, a contrast to his current role set in the American Southwest. Before this, he appeared as Luke in the sixth season of the popular teen show Skins and starred in the highly-rated Black Mirror episode “Hang the DJ,” which tells the story of a couple who reject a dating app’s predictions. He’s perhaps best known for his role as John Shelby in the first four seasons of the acclaimed series Peaky Blinders.
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Ṣọpẹ́ Dìsú currently plays Sean Wallace in the Sky Atlantic and AMC series Gangs of London. His character is the son of a murdered crime leader who decides to carry on the family’s criminal activities with his mother. The show has been well-received, with some critics comparing it to Peaky Blinders. Dan Jolin of Empire magazine described Season 3 as “a ridiculously action-packed and over-the-top drama – and that’s exactly what makes it great.”
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2026-03-11 20:49