The Toll

Brendan is a lone toll operator who has picked the quietest booth in Wales to keep a low profile after a criminal past. He thinks hiding behind routine will keep him safe, until hints about his whereabouts leak and old enemies start heading west with ill intent. At the same time, local traffic officer Catrin is following a thread from a petty robbery that winds her toward the same booth at the worst possible moment. The film watches tense small moments build into a collision, mixing dark humor with sudden violence while keeping its final turns under wraps.

Released in 2021, The Toll was directed by Ryan Andrew Hooper and created by Matt Redd. The cast includes Michael Smiley, Annes Elwy, Iwan Rheon, Gary Beadle and Steve Oram, and the production leans into a distinctly Welsh setting and modest independent scale.

Box office totals were not widely reported, the film saw a limited theatrical run and festival screenings rather than a broad international release. Publicly available revenue figures are scarce, reflecting a targeted roll out more common for indie British genre titles.

The Toll found attention for its offbeat mix of comedy, thriller and crime set against rural roads and bleak landscapes. Michael Smiley's central performance and the movie's tonal shifts prompted discussion among fans of British indie cinema, and its roadside premise and tense, short scenes stuck in viewers' minds more than any single quoted line.

Critical response was mixed, the film holding a modest user score and 5.5 out of 10 average from a small number of votes. Reviewers and viewers tended to praise the performances and the film's darkly comic mood, while some pointed to uneven pacing and plotting. Recurring themes include isolation, the persistence of past choices, and how a quiet place can turn unexpectedly dangerous and absurd.