When the cameras roll on Jamie Fraser’s feature directing debut Thoughtless in 2025, it will mark the fulfilment of serious filmmaking ambition coupled with a nod to his comedic past. Fraser, originally from Aberdeen and now based in London, came to writing and directing through live comedy.
Billed as a satire about attention, distraction and inequality in London, Thoughtless will be executive produced by Triangle Of Sadness co-producer Mike Goodridge via Good Chaos and backed by BBC Film. “It’s loosely based on something that happened to me,” says Fraser. “A guy goes for a run on his lunch break because he’s stressed and then loses his phone, which sets off a series of catastrophes that make him reflect on who he is.”
The journey to the 31-year-old writer/director’s first feature project goes back to listening to the “inspiring” radio show and podcast Cinecast (later Filmspotting), aged 13. “My parents aren’t in the creative fields, but I loved film and watching films with my brother,” he says. “I became obsessed with learning about the history of film and film criticism and started writing reviews and making little films.”
Fraser fell in love with stand-up while at Cambridge University, joined the Footlights comedy society and spent his 20s in a sketch group that toured the UK. For six years he worked as a reader for Film4 and Netflix, which encouraged him “to start writing my own screenplays”.
In 2018, off the back of a spec script written for director Saul Metzstein, Fraser was hired to write gags for Sky One’s Living The Dream, which led to being signed by Independent Talent. He co-wrote the screenplay for crime comedy Say Your Prayers, and Living The Dream producer James Dean supported him to direct short What In The World.
After learning Ruben Östlund, one of his favourite filmmakers, taught at the University of Gothenburg, Fraser applied to its masters programme in filmmaking. As part of his studies, he wrote, directed and edited Green Space, an ensemble comedy drama set in a London park.
“I have plans down the road for things I want to make that are perhaps more serious,” says Fraser. “I would like to make a historical film about Scotland but there’ll always be some laughs in there.”
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