Neil Maskell on His Directorial Debut Klokkenluider: From Tough Guy Roles to a Darkly Comic Whistleblower Thriller

A New Chapter for a Cult Favorite

If you've watched British television or cinema over the last two decades, you've definitely seen the incredible talents of Neil Maskell. The cult favorite actor keeps busy headlining indie thrillers like Bull and Kill List, and appearing in hit TV shows including Peaky Blinders and the recent Hijack. His IMDb page is stacked. The charismatic performer always makes an impression when on screen, often playing fascinating, complex tough guys that draw audiences in. Now, Maskell hopes to capture our attention with his directorial debut Klokkenluider, turning his attention to being behind the camera.

The Birth of Klokkenluider

Maskell never originally intended to direct. The idea for Klokkenluider sparked during a long weekend in the countryside of East Flanders with friends. As he explained to GamesRadar+, the landscape, location, and house he stayed in suggested a setting for a story. People looked small standing against the vast countryside, as if trapped. This set off voices in his head. By the time he left after three days, he had a rough outline of the film, with snatches of dialogue from characters—though he didn't really know who they were back then.

Over the next few years, Maskell worked on other projects as an actor but tinkered with the script. He allowed himself to enjoy the process, not even thinking he'd ever get to make it because it was so weird. Then something clicked. He realized something he hadn't noticed in the first draft, so he went back and rewrote the whole thing. Maskell described it as a wonderful, creative experience.

Trust No One: The Film's Core Theme

Klokkenluider is a black comedy shrouded in mystery. It follows Ewan (Amit Shah), a government whistleblower sent to a remote Belgian countryside house with his wife Silke (Sure Dohnke). They await a journalist (Jenna Coleman) interested in his secrets. When security guards Chris (Tom Burke) and Glynn (Roger Evans) arrive, events take a turn. The theme of trust is at the heart of the movie, as the couple wonders who to share secrets with. Paranoia haunts the characters as they navigate the complex world of whistleblowing.

The title, Klokkenluider, is Dutch for 'whistleblower,' meaning 'bellringer.' Maskell drew inspiration from his own fears about surveillance and security. At that time, the Snowden revelations and Laura Poitras' film Citizenfour had just come out. Maskell was amazed by how much of it chimed with his story. He explained that his characters didn't understand the capabilities of the state like Edward Snowden did, making him feel more aligned with them. Maskell said, 'Hey, I can barely navigate a big shop at times! The decisions the characters make is their undoing really—whilst they are clever, they are also naive.'

The Cookie Monster Confession

Maskell's frustrations come out in a fiery scene with Coleman dropping harsh truth bombs about society and the media's role. The anger is directed at himself. He said, 'I'm a keen newshound, but whenever I go on my phone and it asks me about cookies, I accept them all every time like I'm the fucking cookie monster.' He admires those who risked everything for our privacy but admits his own moment-to-moment consciousness of it is lacking. The film addresses that shame.

Lessons Learned from Collaborators

Klokkenluider delivers quick wit and dark humor, much of which came through improvisation inspired by frequent collaborator Ben Wheatley. Maskell shot one take on and one take off, grabbing snatches of dialogue that sometimes replaced planned scenes. He said, 'It needs to be collaborative, playful, and improvisational for everyone for it to be effective.' He applied this ethos from directors like Paul Andrew Williams (Bull), Ben Wheatley (Kill List), and Steve McQueen (Small Axe).

The Mystery That Elevates the Film

One of the most intriguing aspects of Klokkenluider is that the secret the whistleblower is uncovering is never explicitly revealed to the audience. Maskell admitted he had a silly answer for that question but during the edit realized the film earns some weight by that point. Not showing the secret makes it feel bigger and world-altering. He had written something down but felt it was a cop out. The choice not to reveal it keeps the mystery alive, drawing comparisons to classic ambiguous thrillers.

Klokkenluider releases in UK cinemas on Friday, 1st September. For viewers who appreciate dark comedy with a brain, this is an unmissable debut from an actor who has finally stepped behind the camera—and hopefully not for the last time.

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