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Tony Award-winning actor Reed Birney portrays controversial podcaster Jake Gadling in the new psychological thriller “Outrage,” written and produced by local couple Victoria Fraser and Marc Weinberg.
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Director Robin Rose Singer and her crew
A new psychological thriller with ties to Richmond is hitting the film festival circuit this year. “Outrage” is the first feature film written and produced by husband-and-wife team Marc Weinberg and Victoria Fraser.
Born in Farmville, Weinberg later moved to Richmond, where he attended Douglas S. Freeman High School. He graduated from Rutgers University and UCLA, and eventually returned to RVA, serving as film critic for Richmond magazine and as a film professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.
He met Fraser while working in a production studio in Los Angeles, where they quickly became partners in screenwriting and in life. In their decades-long careers, they have co-written a docuseries for Discovery Channel and have sold scripts to Paramount, USA Network and Dick Clark Productions.
The pair originally conceived “Outrage” with a large cast and complex production, but financial constraints necessitated creativity. The finished screenplay features primarily just one actor in one room, filmed entirely in New York City — a stripped-down approach that winds up intensifying the plot.
The movie explores today’s heated political climate, showcasing reckless rhetoric and the volatile anger it can ignite. The main character, Jake Gadling, is a polarizing podcaster who profits from sparking controversy through offensive commentary. After a night on the town, he wakes up in a locked basement, held captive by a listener who wants to see him face accountability for his actions.
“He really has to undergo a big self-check over the course of the story,” Fraser says. “One effective technique is having his captor blast his own podcasts and TV appearances to torment him with his own words — all with time running out.”
The motion picture marks the feature-length directorial debut of New York City-based writer, producer and director Robin Rose Singer. Gadling is played by Reed Birney, known for his work in “Succession,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “House of Cards” and “The Menu.” He also won a Tony Award in 2016 for his performance in “The Humans.”
Weinberg says they were thrilled to land an actor of Birney’s caliber on a microbudget. “He has such a stage presence and can really act with his body,” Fraser says. “That’s really important, since he’s in a room alone and on screen the entire time.”
The story is especially relevant today, during a time of rising political tension, online hostility and sometimes violent consequences. “There is so much noise and so many opinions blasting at us from all directions 24/7,” Fraser says.
“It used to be that if you said something inflammatory or something that wasn’t true, you could be held responsible,” Weinberg adds. “That isn’t always the case today, no matter what side you’re on.”
“Outrage” has been submitted for screenings at more than 20 upcoming film festivals around the world, including the Richmond International Film Festival. The feature will also be available to stream on Amazon Prime in 2027, and the filmmakers hope it will be picked up by additional streaming services. For a sneak peek, visit instagram.com/outrage.the.film.
Ultimately, Fraser and Weinberg want their work to entertain audiences while spurring conversation and inner reflection.
“Words matter,” Fraser says. “Whether people are liberal or conservative, they’ve become so dismissive of other people’s opinions or experiences. We can do better — this is a good thing to hit right now.”
