Luke Graham, son of former NRL star Graham, is behind the new film, Broke, which chronicles a man’s struggle with gambling addiction and has been very well-received by film critics.
Broke is about fictional rugby player named Ben Kelly. Because of his gambling addiction, he lost his home and career, and the film takes a look at his journey to recovery. The film stars Steve Le Marquand and has been directed by Heath Davis.
Luke explains why he choose to produce the film:
“This was a story that people around me had been going through as well as many people in the media. I think, in the time we were developing the concept, there were multiple NRL players going through this issue.”
Today, problem gambling is still a big issue in the Kiwi sports industry. Recently, Kieran Foran has been accused to losing $75 000 betting on sports, highlighting the fact that more action needs to be taken in order to prevent both members of the general public and sports superstars from falling victim to gambling addiction.
“It is one of the few movies that actually tells the truth about gambling,” says Rhonda Woodford, problem gambling counsellor. “A lot of movies focus on the gambler being the hero, and the girls, and being very popular — but this really tells the other side, the people who are struggling with a gambling addiction.”
So far, the film has been well-received by moviegoers with an 8.9/10 rating on IMDB.
“Writer/director Heath Davis offers a cynical but convincing portrait of a desecrated athlete against a moody, lower-class suburban backdrop,” writes Tegan Lyon for The Reel Word. “Broke is a simple story, but one that resonates”.
You can take a look at the trailer below: