ONE PUNCH is a gritty, teen drama about Matt Mercado, a young Italian Australian man on the cusp of adulthood, struggling in his final year at high school and trying to hold on to the friendships and innocence of his youth. 

On the eve of Matt’s 18th Birthday his domineering father, Carlo, indoctrinates him into the reality of their world, sending him out, in the care of his older brother Ant, to serve his apprenticeship in the family business. Selling drugs. Under immense pressure, Matt’s world will erode beneath him as he struggles to stake his claim, forge new friendships and prove his worth to his family, resulting in an act of random violence that will define the rest of his life. 

From award winning Writer/Director Darcy Yuille comes the audacious and innovative production ONE PUNCH, a character driven drama that follows the descent of a young man into a violent and brutal world.

Shot on iPhone 8+ & iPhone X.

Director's Statement

This is a film about the steps that young men take from innocence to violence, steps that seem prepared long before he is even able to make decisions. These steps are well worn by elder role models, family members and a cycle of casual violence that is a rite of passage for many young men. 

Created through year long improvisations with dedicated actors, and based on deep research into the experiences of victims of ONE PUNCH incidents and with forensic scientists who deal with brain injuries, ONE PUNCH was devised to show how this sad event can happen to any young man, under the wrong kind of pressure. The film was deliberately shot with smartphones to create the visceral feel of the medium and to allow access to pre covid crowds and locations, enabling the production to shoot in real locations. 

The story is framed as a tragedy, a situation where no one wins and the actions of a fleeting moment cast a shadow over the lives of all involved for the rest of their lives.

Director's Bio

Darcy Yuille is an Australian director who grew up in country Queensland and travelled extensively before studying Humanities at Griffith University, where he discovered the film industry and immediately found his family. Darcy is known for his skill in spotting and working with talent, his award winning graduate short-film "Blue Poles" featuring then emerging talent Sam Worthington. His love of working closely with actors is reflected in his current project, using the 'Mike Leigh Method' to devise authentic story through improvisation with his cast. He is a graduate of the Masters Directing program of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and has directed award winning short films, documentaries and commercials. "One Punch" is his first feature film.

Producer's Bio

Margaret Tillson is a Sydney based producer with 18 years experience in screen production and creative business, graduating from the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), with a Master of Arts - Screen Arts and Business, in 2013. 

Her love of filmmaking began working as a script supervisor on films like You Can’t Stop The Murders (2002) & Backyard Ashes (2012). She has Line Produced two feature dramas The Last Goodbye (2013), and indi sci-fi Terminus (2015), which sold 

into multiple territories worldwide. In 2019 she produced feature drama One Punch for Rooftop Film Co. 

Margaret is also a highly respected Production Manager / Coordinator, having worked on some of Australia’s premier dramas such as Hacksaw Ridge, Doctor Doctor S1, Love Child S4, RIOT (Tele-Movie), Soul Mates S2, Here Out West and documentary / factual projects such as; The Pool, Birdsville or Bust; The Scribe & Two Tonnes of Love (U.S Discovery Channel) 

Margaret is a keen supporter of emerging talent, acting as mentor in 2018 for the University of NSW’s ‘Career Ready Program’. She produced One Punch with VIC based emerging producer Sher-Li Tan (Dir/Co-Prod. Darcy Yuille) and is currently collaborating with NSW regional writer/producer Kellie Jenner, on the development of feature film Leading Lady. 

Margaret has a passion for storytelling, believing it is integral to a happy, healthy life. She loves collaborating with like-minded partners to produce heart-centred, commercially viable entertainment. Margaret believes that the quality of our working lives is just as important as the stories we create. 

She is an accredited Mental Health First-Aider and a strong advocate for generating positive mental-health outcomes for the Australian screen industry. 

Margaret complements her producing career working as Communications Manager for Creative Content Australia, and running her bespoke content company Front & Centre Media. When she’s not busy juggling production deadlines with raising two teenagers, she can be found kayaking with her husband around Dangar Island (Darug Country) on the beautiful Hawkesbury River, which she is lucky enough to call home.