Gritty independent Glasgow gangland film, Concrete Jungle, finds home on STV Player

It’s no mean city…

Concrete Jungle, which has already shot to the top of STV Player’s most-watched chart, is the passion project of former bouncer, Anton O’Donnell, who conceived the idea for the 45-minute film when working on the doors of bars on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street.

With no prior filmmaking experience, the 39-year-old Paisley native wrote, co-directed and executive produced Concrete Jungle himself – and even stars as main protagonist, Jamie.

Anton O’Donnell:

“Everyone I worked with on the doors agreed with me that Scotland is missing a gritty, gangland drama, told through the eyes of the gangsters rather than the detectives trying to catch them. I came up with the concept and started putting pen to paper, but with zero industry experience, I had no idea how difficult it is to actually get a film project like this over the line!”

A gritty new independent film, written and produced by a former Glasgow bouncer, has been acquired by STV Player and is now available to watch for free on the streaming service. Hard-hitting and darkly humorous, Concrete Jungle tells the story of emerging Glasgow gangster, Jamie McGregor, who, when double-crossed in a drug deal, must use any means necessary to repay a huge debt.

Gritty independent Glasgow gangland film, Concrete Jungle, finds home on STV Player

Under immense pressure from a ruthless underworld boss to recover the stolen money, Jamie turns to his family – the only people he can trust – for help. With just two weeks to repay the debt, and a chilling threat to his life if he doesn’t, Jamie is forced to carefully navigate a treacherous world of deception and danger – with the unforgiving streets of Glasgow as the backdrop.

Anton O’Donnell:

“I hired two talented lads to help me bring my vision to life: cinematographer, Bryan McIntyre, and co-director, Graeme Watt, who also edited the film. It’s no exaggeration to say that I put myself through the ringer making Concrete Jungle. I worked 18-hour days between two jobs to finance the project, and one day I even found myself up at 4am doing last-minute rewrites because an actor couldn’t make it in for filming.

“That said, I was driven by the belief that Scotland has never seen a drama like this before, and the end result has made all the blood, sweat and tears totally worth it. To have the backing of STV Player and to be able to share the pilot with a wider audience is a dream come true, and I hope to continue Jamie’s story and make more episodes in the future.”

A TikTok account set up earlier this month to promote Concrete Jungle’s launch on STV Player has gone viral, with over 225,000 combined views on trailers for the film, and comments describing it as “Glasgow Top Boy vibes” and “River City meets The Krays”.

Richard Williams, Managing Director of Digital at STV noted, “Along with major soaps, dramas and sporting events, it’s also hugely important for us at STV Player to back brilliant, homegrown, independent filmmaking – and Concrete Jungle fits that bill to a tee. Anton has created a compelling story with multi-dimensional characters and relatable Glaswegian dialogue and admirably brought his vision to the screen through sheer tenacity and hard work. We’re delighted to give Concrete Jungle a home on STV Player and continue STV’s legacy of supporting emerging talent from across Scotland.” 

Concrete Jungle is available to stream now, exclusively on STV Player.