Jennifer just got sacked from her London IT job, because her [former] boss is an exploitative shark. She already has an offer of sorts, but it is somewhat non-traditional. The mysterious mastermind calling himself Gates wants her to sneak into a big “City” bank’s corporate office to steal a list of dodgy accounts and their passwords. The source of the dirty funds is a bit vague and it seems to keep shifting from conversation to conversation, but she could certainly use her multi-million-Pound cut.
However, Jennifer has a harder time infiltrating the building than anticipated because of Gates’ junky intel. She also has to con her way around George, whom she assumes is an investment banker, but viewers can tell from his entrance, he is actually another thief trying to make the same big score. Yet, despite the circumstances, they have a weird flirty thing going on, even after she accidently shoots him.
As co-screenwriters, Kyla Frye and Sam Benjamin are more successful fooling the lead characters they play than the audience watching it pan out. However, it is rather lively. They made three previous short films together, so there is at least a pre-existing professional relationship there. Regardless, their chemistry in Pay Day works surprisingly well.
It is fortunate that the music is distinctive because Bradford’s direction and the look of Phil Thomas’s cinematography are both pretty pedestrian. All the style comes from the music or the cast. Still, there is enough cleverness in Frye and Benjamin’s writing and lead performances to pass the time. Earning a mild recommended for when it hits free streaming platforms, The Pay Day releases today (11/11) on VOD and screens Monday (11/14) at the Cranford Theater in Jersey.
