Hooked: Addiction & Mental Health Short Film

Aim

Hooked is a short film based on a real South Yorkshire story about addiction, recovery & the gaps people fall through when care systems fail

Logline: 

When Jacob is abruptly cut off from his prescription medication, he must navigate withdrawal through a care system that refuses to see him as human. 

Production Update 06/03:

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated, including Patriot Games, The Cutler's Charitable Trust and our community partner Gripple.

Rehearsals are now finished and filming is due to start this weekend in Sheffield.

ITV Calendar News also recently visited during our rehearsal to film the story behind the project; view the segment here.

ITV Calendar News visiting the production as filming approaches.

Synopsis:

Hooked takes place over a single stretch of time, following Jacob as he moves through a fragmented care system that consists of GP hold queues and supported accommodation.

Staying close to Jacob, the film resists sensationalising crisis and instead observes what happens when responsibility is endlessly passed on. Hooked is a quiet, human story about how people fall through gaps that no one claims to own.

Background

Hello, I’m Jade Strain, a Rotherham-based writer. Hooked is a deeply personal short film inspired by the true story of Caleb Hancock.

Caleb died in supported living accommodation in December 2024 following a long-term addiction to prescription painkillers. He was 27.

With the full support of Caleb’s family and in partnership with the national recovery charity The Forward Trust, Hooked will tell his story through a 15-minute film; handled with truth and without sensationalism.

The film was shortlisted for BFI funding and is being made with an experienced professional cast and crew.

Caleb’s story is not an isolated one:

• 5565 people in the UK died from drugs last year - the highest since records began.
• 75% of the 329,646 people in contact with treatment services reported a mental health need.

Caleb & his mum Joanne

Why A film?

Caleb became addicted to prescription painkillers after years of undiagnosed headaches. When he entered the recovery system, each service he encountered operated in isolation, passing responsibility on rather than offering real support.

Stories like his don't make the headlines. They are often reduced to statistics or disappear entirely.

Film allows us to sit with lived experience in a way that reports and data cannot. Hooked is not about blame or shock but about understanding and the gaps that emerge when care systems are fragmented.

By sharing the film freely, we hope that it can be used as a conversation-starter by audiences, community groups and organisations working in recovery and mental health, to reflect on how care is delivered and where people are being lost.

Cast & Crew

Hooked is now fully cast and supported by an experienced professional crew with credits including The Witcher, Bohemian Rhapsody, House of The Dragon and The Bay.

Jacob is played by Macaulay Cooper, recently seen in Emmerdale. James Bayes joins the cast as Craig; his credits include World on Fire, Toxic Town and The Moment. 

Our recent blocking day

Where Are We Now?

Our production timeline is as follows:

8-10th March: Filming
April: Editing and post-production
May: Film release

How The Funding Will Be Used

The project has received a £500 grant from The Cutlers’ Charitable Trust towards production. We are hoping to raise an additional £6,500 to cover the essential costs of making the film and tell Caleb's story responsibly.

The funding will contribute to:

• Equipment hire
• Insurance
• Cast and crew fees
• Location costs
• Music licensing
• Fundraising platform fees

This budget covers only the essential costs of production. Post-production will be supported separately, allowing us to keep the initial ask as low as possible.

The Hooked Cast

Why We Need Your Help 

This isn't a script that fits into a neat little box; we are questioning the entire system and finding funding for this can be difficult. It asks hard questions about systems of care and does so without an easy resolution. 

Your support will allow us to make the film on its own terms rather than forcing it into formats or narratives that would compromise its integrity. It will also ensure that the film can be shared freely and reach the people that it’s intended for.

Macaulay Cooper as Jacob and Georgia Mills as Millie

Risks & Challenges

This is not a commercial project and success won't be measured by profit.

The primary challenge is raising the production budget within a limited timeframe. To manage this, the scale of the film has been deliberately kept contained, with a realistic shooting schedule already in place.

This approach will allow us to complete the film on time without rushing the process or cutting corners.

What Happens After The Film Is Made?

Once completed, Hooked will be shared freely online and submitted to a small number of carefully selected festivals to extend its reach.

The film is intended to be accessible to everyone, rather than held behind paywalls or limited screenings.

Our aim is not exclusivity, but visibility: making sure that the film can be used as a key resource to start difficult conversations.

Behind-the-scenes during our preparation for filming

Thank You

If this story resonates with you, any support, at any level, will help us to bring the film to life. If you’re unable to contribute financially, that’s completely understood. Supporting the project can also mean helping it reach the right people.

This might include:

• Sharing the campaign
• Passing it on within your networks
• Talking about the film with people who may want to support it

Thank you for taking the time to read about Hooked.

This project successfully funded on 12th March 2026