RATING: A-

A Scatena and Rosner Films production. Written, edited, and directed by Shane Brady. Produced by Shane Brady and Emily Zercher. Cinematography by Evan Zissimopoulos.

Stars Shane Brady, Augie Duke. Chandler Riggs, Owen Atlas, Colling Thompson, Katelyn Nacon, Glenn Stanton, and Richard Riehle. 

What would you do if you and your family were victims of wire fraud and you found the guy? This comedy shows what can, in fact, happen, or wishes what would happen.

The Rumble Family have made their fame on various platforms, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on things. However, it has gotten to a point where patriarch Mark Rumble and his fiancée Amy are ready to finally buy their first home. Mark and Amy’s kids, Ralph and Freddy, want to be viral stars. The kids want to be viral stars like their dad. When Frank and Ralph game and taunt another player they eliminated on Fortnite, it sets off a shocking world of trouble. 

The player they taunted is a professional hacker known as “The Chameleon”. For the past few years, he has hacked and stolen money from various organizations. When the Chameleon decides to hack into Mark and Emily’s funds to get their house, they soon learn that the paperwork meant to confirm the sale was false. Completely shocked and angry, Mark and Emily think their lives are over. However, the kids discover the Chameleon’s location and decide to do something about it once and for all. 

Written and directed by lead actor Shane Brady, this film, as stated, is based on his true story, but adds “what he would like to do if he had caught the hacker”. This makes the film both a bit sad and yet refreshing to see the mindset of someone who has had their world turned upside down thanks to a situation that actually happens today: scamming people out of their money and hacking to steal funds. 

Since this is his story, it’s clear Brady is a natural in front of the cameras as he plays Mark, the patriarch of the Rumble family who is a viral star but, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, is facing some struggles but has enough money to put a down payment on a house. We see Mark to the point of collapse when everyone’s lives are destroyed by this hacker known as “The Chameleon”. However, while we see him struggle and have a dream sequence where the very snobbish bank he turned to completely trashes him for his actions and practically mocks him, it makes you want to root for Mark even more and not just against the hacker, but the bank as well. 

However, what’s amazing is the mindset portion, when the kids, played by Owen Atlas and Collin Thompson, not only find the Chameleon, played by a very seething Chandler Riggs, but decide to trap and torture him until he gives the money and all back. That’s not even the half of it. Add a fantastic and hilarious Richard Riehle as, get this…Santa Claus. No, seriously. He’s Santa in the vein of Chris Mitchum’s take on the character in Santa’s Summer House but amped up to ten. He even has a magic weapon in a candy cane that can resurrect the dead if needed, and it results in an insane viral infomercial in the Chameleon’s karma hitting him hard. 

Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma is witty, emotional at times, but fun to watch and make you want to root for the family here. Shane Brady is a natural thanks to proving he can make it both in front and behind the cameras. Definitely see this film!

The film is coming to DVD and On Demand on June 2 from S&R Films