Filmmaker Sai Karan Talwar is challenging the narratives of influencers who promote rigid and often harmful ideas about masculinity to young men. His new film, I Am the Prize, follows Anthony, a fictionalized influencer whose messaging and persona evoke real-life influencers such as the controversial Andrew Tate.
Tate, a self-described misogynist along with his brother Tristan, has been accused of crimes by British and Romanian authorities related to the sexual exploitation and abuse of women, including rape and human trafficking. The brothers have denied any wrongdoing.
Through Talwar’s character Anthony, the film exposes how manipulative and deceptive these online personalities can be, particularly in the way they market certainty, strength and success to vulnerable audiences. Anthony leads a double life, publicly portraying himself as straight while hooking up with guys on the down-low. As his contradictions begin to surface, the film explores the consequences of living a double life and the damage that can result when people feel pressured to conform to identities that do not reflect who they truly are.
Ultimately, I Am The Prize becomes a timely examination of how rigid ideas of masculinity continue to shape a new generation of young men, amplified by the pervasive influence of technology and social media in 2026.
What do you think Anthony’s journey in the film has to say about similar influencers in the real world that are pushing these overly traditional masculine views?
Sai Karan Talwar: The character was informed by a lot of those sorts of influencers. When I was graduating university, Jordan Peterson started coming up, and then a little later Andrew Tate was starting out. Then more and more of these guys started to appear.
I had a lot of friends that were looking towards these people, and I become a little intrigued as to what was drawing them into these men. Then, little by little, I started to see how dark and twisted what they are pushing actually is. With Anthony, he has that cult-like personality, and we were trying to allow him to coexist in that sphere with all the other conservative influencers. In the film, though, we are able to pull back the curtain and show how broken he is and the truth as to what he and many of the real-world ones are really up to.
I think it also shows that we should not be informed by people who do not actually follow what they preach. They are just doing it to make money and for their own success.
Was it hard to create this character who is so destructive or were you able to sympathize with him and see where he was coming from?
SKT: Honestly, I don’t think anyone really likes this character. But the whole point is you have got to understand him. All we can really do, in order to really get these guys’ agenda is show their true ways completely unfiltered.
We are really giving a behind-the-scenes look at how they have such a powerful influence on people especially in the opening scene. I think the beginning gives a glimpse into how all the things Anthony says is ridiculous but how he really has a grip on his audience. We get to see as more unveils in the film how he is such a fraud. A lot of these men in real life are con men and liars. These sorts of guys have existed for much of history such as certain politicians, but now they are able to use the power of social media to target vulnerable individuals.
Russell Tovey is at a certain age where he has grown as an actor and has this presence that he used to not have, so I really just thought he would be the perfect fit.
How was the casting process in finding the right actor to play Anthony? This is such a complex role with a man who’s not very likable and also leading a double life hooking up with guys while pushing toxic views.
SKT: Russell Tovey is a great actor. He is super well known in England and a little bit in America as well. I knew that I wanted him because I saw him in a film called The Pass where he plays a sexually confused football player who also was a little sociopathic, so it’s not super different from Anthony’s character. Now, though, Russell is at a certain age where he has grown as an actor and now has this presence that he used to not have, so I really just thought he would be the perfect fit.
We offered it to him, and I truly trusted his take on the character as well. We did not have rehearsals; we just contacted his agents and went for it. We shot the short in two days, and he just did such a brilliant job.
You are not a stranger to tackling themes of toxic masculinity in your projects prior to this one. As a director, what draws you to create stories that explore this topic?
SKT: Truthfully, I think … these are the sorts of films I am just able to get made. It really is not always in your control what film you are able to make next. It’s always just like one leads into the other which leads into the next one. It really is a topic I am interested in, though, too. There is so much talk about … over the past few years.
Also, I am writing as a man at the end of the day, so I am looking at what is going on, and masculinity is an interesting topic to delve into because it is so complex. It is great for creating drama in stories, too. Men can be so problematic too, so it really is fun to dive into. At the same time, though, I do hope to branch out and tell different stories eventually besides just about toxic men.
What do you think Anthony’s journey has to say about men who are in the closest and struggling with their sexuality?
SKT: Anthony has buried everything within himself. He chose not to be his authentic self, and that is the position he put himself in. He did it to himself. The key message of the film is the need for authenticity. I think, though, it is complicated because things have become more dangerous in the world. That makes it harder for people to even want to be authentic. This story is truly a cautionary tale of what happens when people just repress and bury everything underneath, and I truly believe the world would be a better place if people embraced their true selves more.
What is one part of the story that you are most excited for viewers to experience?
SKT: It’s honestly hard for me to say I am excited for people to see it because this is a hard watch. I do believe it is well made, though, but it is tough to sit through. Truthfully, that is the point.
I want people to be uncomfortable when they watch, and I want them to be challenged. That honestly is the point of making art. You want to try and make a difference with what you create and have the audience feel something and be able to pose some questions. Hopefully, it will make people see how broken many of these Andrew Tate-sort-of guys really are and make people see we don’t want to look at these people for guidance in real life.
