You can always sniff out phoniness in a project, and conversely, notice real authenticity. The newactionfilmSunray: Fallen Soldieris created by and starring a collective of former British Royal Marines Commandos - the UK’s elite amphibious special operations capable commando force. And you can tell. The synopsis reads, “A war veteran calls on friends from his past to hunt down those responsible for the death of his daughter. Along the way, he learns more about himself than he anticipated as a violent crime syndicate unravels in his wake.” You can check out the trailer below.
James Clarke and Daniel Shepherd wrote, directed and produced the film. Shepherd joined the Royal Marines Commandos at the age of 18, where he served for nine years. Clarke joined the Royal Marines in 2015. Clarke wrote in a director’s statement:
“Within the Armed Forces lies a wealth of exceptional talent and creativity, fortified by the resilience and values instilled by military service.When this combination converges, it creates an unstoppable creative force. Sunray is ultimately about a veteran harnessing their experiences as a superpower, and the creative process of the film serves as a poignant extension of this, showcasing the therapeutic power of the arts. It has been both an honor and a humbling experience to shed light on mental health through the action-packed narrative of Sunray: Fallen Soldier.”
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“We’ve made a film about our people. But it’s a human story," said Tip Cullen, the lead actor of the film (he served for 29 years as a Royal Marine, where he worked as a Mountain Leader and deployed on multiple operations around the globe). “This is an indie film from the bones — this is no big corporate thing,” added Cullen. “It’s made by a small gang of people with a lot of passion and a lot of love, a lot of wonderment about what it is to tell a story in a film.” Cullen continued:
“The character I play is a broken man… very similar to myself, you know, back-to-back operational deployments. But I don’t hold the monopoly on exposure to trauma. We’ve experienced it, but I know friends and colleagues that have been exposed day in, day out… it’s hard to get away from that. My experiences have helped massively, but I’m an actor — I’m trained. Having those life experiences is a wonderful asset… especially for Sunray.”
The Universal Themes of Trauma Embedded in Action
“Everyone experiencesPTSD and mental health issuesdifferently, and it’s not just military people — it’s everyone. So there is a universal theme to this. In a way, we’ve taken that on board with the film,” said Daniel Shepherd. “It’s got plenty of action, plenty of more traditional film elements, but there is an undercurrent of mental health, PTSD, that kind of becomes more clear as the film goes on. The main thing really is… it doesn’t matter how strong someone looks on the outside, you never know what’s going on inside their head.”
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“I had a real moral dilemma,” Cullen added about the film. “I’m a fraud, I’m a cheat — I have to use real, unbelievable, incredible human beings who are not with me, who died on operations, and I’m using them just to make a character on stage… Then I realized, that’s why I’m an actor. I need them with me to make myself believable and credible. So if I’m not hitting the mark, I’m doing them a disservice… and now every time I have to go there, I can visit my friends.”
See how it all turned out whenSunray: Fallen Soldiercomes to digital platforms & select cinemas across the UK and North America on Aug 12, 2025, from Vertigo Releasing and Sunrise Films.
