For married filmmakers Shane Brady and Emily Zercher, a stressful phone call during the pandemic turned into the idea for their first feature film, Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma.
While trying to buy a house, the couple fell victim to a wire fraud scam and unknowingly sent their down payment to a hacker. Once they realized what had happened, they contacted their bank and the FBI — only to find themselves stuck on hold with no real sense of help or closure.
Zercher says that long wait, paired with the frustration of knowing the hacker’s name and address, sparked an emotional reaction that later shaped the movie.
She recalls joking — and later reconsidering — about taking matters into her own hands. That moment planted what she calls “the seed of vengeance,” which eventually became the foundation of the film.
Turning Anger Into Art
Rather than letting the experience defeat them, Brady and Zercher poured their anger, stress and sense of helplessness into a fictional story inspired by what happened to them. The film follows the Rumble family, who face a similar cybercrime and spiral into a chaotic search for justice.
As they researched hacking and fraud, the filmmakers discovered just how common these crimes are — and how rarely perpetrators face consequences.
According to Zercher, cybercrime is difficult to prosecute and often leaves victims feeling powerless. That reality helped shape the film’s frantic tone and dark humor.
A Fast, Frenetic Style
Brady, who also edited the film, says the movie’s rapid pace was intentional. Early cuts ran nearly two hours, but feedback made it clear the story needed to be leaner.
He eventually cut it down to about 90 minutes, leaning into a fast, almost overwhelming rhythm that reflects how the couple felt during the ordeal.
Brady embraces comparisons to short-form, high-energy content, saying the style fits both the subject matter and the younger, tech-savvy audience the film is meant to reach.
Festival Success and Distribution
“Hacked” recently completed a strong festival run, screening at events including FilmQuest, Celluloid Screams, and Soho Horror Fest.
The film has now been acquired for distribution by S&R Films, bringing it one step closer to a wider audience.
Healing Through Storytelling
For Brady, making the movie became a way to process the loss and move forward.
He says the experience taught him to see hardship as something that can connect people, rather than isolate them. While the money they lost was never recovered, the film gave them a sense of purpose — and a way to help others who have gone through similar situations.
Ultimately, Brady hopes the movie offers viewers a sense of release.
If someone has had a terrible day, been scammed, or felt powerless in the face of modern technology, he says, the film is meant to let them laugh, feel seen, and not take everything quite so seriously — even when things go very wrong.
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