Frank Grillo, best known for roles in recent superhero and crime dramas, has signed on to lead a politically charged kidnapping comedy that will shoot in California after securing a state tax incentive. The film, set in the tense week before the 2024 presidential election, positions family conflict and political ambition at the center of its darkly comic premise — a timely backdrop with clear stakes for audiences and industry watchers alike.
Plot and principal role
The project, titled Show of Hands, follows Jimmi Galligan, a struggling film student convinced his estranged father is withholding the funds needed to get his first movie made. In a desperate bid to raise cash, Jimmi assembles a group of impecunious activists to abduct the father — a move meant to coerce a production budget but soon spirals far beyond their control.
The father, Barlow Galligan, will be played by Grillo. Barlow is drawn as a small-town Cadillac dealer who also serves as mayor and a congressional hopeful — a man for whom free-market rhetoric is near-religious. What begins as a scheme for quick money inflates into a chaotic ransom that climbs from tens of thousands into seven figures, drawing other criminal elements and exposing fractures in the Galligan family that mirror broader political divisions.
- Title: Show of Hands
- Genre: Political kidnapping comedy
- Writer/Director: P.J. Pesce
- Lead actor: Frank Grillo (Barlow Galligan)
- Producers: Rob Weiss, Noam Dromi, Frank Grillo
- Filming: California (production has secured a state tax incentive)
- Setting: The week leading up to the 2024 presidential election
Creative team and tone
P.J. Pesce, who wrote and will direct, has a track record across episodic television and genre features. Producers describe the script as a bold, darkly funny take on contemporary political culture — a story that blends satire with personal drama. Pesce and producers say the film aims to avoid one-dimensional caricatures: the central conflict is as much about the father-son bond as it is about the political theater surrounding them.
Producers view Grillo’s casting as an asset to that balance. They note his ability to combine physical presence with comic timing and emotional nuance, qualities they believe will make Barlow both infuriating and sympathetic rather than a simple mouthpiece for partisan views.
Why this matters now
The timing — both narratively and logistically — is significant. By situating the story in the immediate run-up to a presidential election, the film taps into current public conversations about polarization, family loyalty and the commercialization of politics. On the industry side, landing the California tax credit is an important production milestone, signaling the project’s movement from development toward principal photography and affirming the state’s role in attracting independent features.
Grillo brings recent visibility from high-profile properties, including his work in a major superhero film and several acclaimed TV series. That profile, combined with the film’s topical premise and the producers’ emphasis on blending comedy with character-driven stakes, creates a clear commercial and editorial hook.
The team’s next steps include finalizing the production schedule and casting for the ensemble who will play Jimmi and the activists. No exact shoot dates were announced, but producers have framed the secured tax incentive as a key enabler for beginning production in California.
Pescé’s background spans nearly 100 hours of television direction across series ranging from genre to procedural drama as well as a handful of feature credits; producers see that experience as a fit for the story’s tonal shifts between comedy, tension and family drama.
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Hello, I’m Declan. I share my film reviews and discoveries with you to enrich your moviegoing experience.