HOLY ROLLERS

Year: 2010
USA: First Independent Pictures
UK: Crabtree Films
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha, Ari Graynor, Danny A Abeckaser, Q-Tip, Elizabeth Marvel, Jason Fuchs, Haille Eisenberg, Bern Cohen, Stella Keitel, David Vadim, Mark Ivanir, Omer Barnea, Charlie Hewson
Director: Kevin Asch
Country: USA
USA: 89 mins
UK: 88 mins
USA Rated: R for drug content and language throughout, and brief sexual material
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and hard drug use and drugs theme
USA Release Date: 21 May 2010 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 8 July 2011 (Limited Release)

Synopsis

HOLY ROLLERS is inspired by actual events in the late nineties when Hasidic Jews were recruited as mules to smuggle ecstasy from Europe into the United States. It is the story of a young Hasid, Sam Gold (Jesse Eisenberg), from an Orthodox Brooklyn community who is propositioned by his neighbour, Yosef Zimmerman (Justin Bartha), to transport ‘medicine’ for an Israeli dealer, Jackie (Danny A Abeckaser) and his girlfriend Rachel (Ari Graynor).

He is exposed to the exciting and gritty worlds of Manhattan and Amsterdam nightlife, and as the business grows, his double life begins to rip his family apart and the community becomes suspicious of his illegal activities. Caught between life as a smuggler and the path back to God, he goes on the run, forced to make a fatal decision that could bring the entire operation crashing down.