Gagged is a razor-sharp dark comedy with a sinister edge, blending psychological horror with biting satire. Written by Nicko Vaughan and directed by Guy Pearson, this short film follows a struggling comedian whose lowest moment on stage, being humiliated by a relentless heckler, spirals into something far darker.

 

When the heckler wakes up bound and gagged in the comic’s home, the balance of power flips, unravelling through a night of surreal humiliation, uneasy laughter, and creeping dread.

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With its inventive premise and unflinching execution, Gagged explores the fragile line between comedy and cruelty, performance and punishment. It asks what might happen when the heckler becomes the act, and the stage becomes a trap? Pearson and Vaughan push the boundaries of genre, delivering a bold, original vision that’s as disturbing as it is wickedly funny.

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More than just a short, Gagged is a proof-of-concept for a planned feature film, a glimpse of a larger, even darker and more daring story world. It’s designed to showcase the film’s originality, its market potential, and the kind of unforgettable experience the feature will deliver. Equal parts shocking, stylish, and smart, Gagged is built to grab attention on the festival circuit and excite audiences, producers, and distributors alike.