Heartstopper star Joe Locke is set to appear in the new mystery thriller Black Church Bay, and the first images and a trailer for the film have been shared ahead of its premiere at the British Film Festival.
The film is directed by Rhys Marc Jones and stars Locke alongside Tom Cullen, who is best known for his work in the film Weekend.
The film’s premise is described as follows:
In a sleepy Welsh fishing village, Barry’s life starts to unravel after an intimate encounter in this gripping mystery drama. As hidden truths come to light, he is no longer able to control the double life he leads. Barry must decide what lengths he will go to in order to cover up his private life and, ultimately, his true self.
The film is the debut feature from Jones, who has previously helmed several award-winning short films. It will also mark Joe Locke’s first leading role in a feature film.
Since finding fame through Heartstopper, Locke has continued to work on a variety of projects. He appeared in the Marvel series Agatha All Along and also performed on Broadway in the revival of the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He made his West End debut in the play Clarkston in 2025.
Earlier this year, it was announced that he had also been cast in the upcoming film Elsinore, a biopic about Ian Charleson. He will appear alongside a number of well-known actors, including Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, Juliet Stevenson, Monica Dolan, Billie Piper, Dickie Beau, Peter Mullan, Georgie Glen, and Luke Thompson.
The film tells the story of the acclaimed Scottish actor as he performs Hamlet at Britain’s National Theatre during the final months of his life while navigating the realities of living with HIV at a time when treatment options were limited.
The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday and is scheduled to be released in US cinemas in late November. A trailer for the film appeared online but has since been removed by the film company.
