Meaghan Martin (“Camp Rock,” Mean Girls 2″) leads the cast of “Red Flags,” a darkly-comic erotic thriller now in production along the Algarve coast in Portugal.
The U.K-Portuguese co-production marks the debut feature of writer-director Bradley Porter, based on a story developed by Martin.
“Red Flags” follows a former child actress who husband disappears on their European vacation, triggering what the synopsis describes as a “ravenous journey of self-discovery driven by an insatiable appetite for sex, violence and pasteis de nata.”
Alongside Martin, the ensemble cast includes Bert Seymour (“Bridgerton”), Anatole Taubman (“Quantum of Solace”), Freddie Dennis (“Queen Charlotte”), Ana Javakhishvili (“And Then We Danced”), Jérémie Galiana (“Paul & Paulette Take a Bath”), Ana Cristina de Oliveira (“O Clube”), Gabriel Antunes (“Hey Joe”) and Roxane Mesquida (“À Ma Soeur!”).
“I’m eternally indebted to my cast and crew who are helping us to realise this story Meaghan and I have developed,” said Porter. “But most of all I’m grateful to the people of Quarteira, a place I love deeply, for opening up their metaphorical arms and letting us into their community to do some truly wicked things.”
Added Martin: “What drew me to ‘Red Flags’ is how it takes an intimate, almost claustrophobic relationship story and pushes it into unsettling, dangerous territory.”
The film is being produced by Thomas McDonald for London based Tedium Entertainment, and co-produced by Staffan Tranaeus of SouthWest Productions in Portugal. It is currently out to sales agencies.
“I want to make films that challenge the structures of inequality in society in an entertaining audience-led way,” said McDonald. “Meaghan and Bradley have put together a truly unique story that deconstructs the infantilisation of the media industry and a woman’s defiance of this structure to reclaim her sense of self and adulthood on her own terms. I can’t wait to bring this thrilling story and Meaghan’s incredible performance to the world.”
Murugan Thiruchelvam and Vikram Gudi of Rhyza are also supporting the project as executive producers.
“We’re thrilled to support ‘Red Flags’ and its bold creative vision — exactly the kind of daring, distinctive storytelling we want to champion,” they said.
Other executive producers on the project include Paul Ginns on behalf of Realis, Paul Hillier on behalf of Blush Films, Bernadette Flynn, and Riccardo Servini.