Rose Byrne knew she was fated to bring the story of Amanda Ogle to the screen. Byrne stars in “Tow,” based on Ogle’s story as an unhoused woman fighting to reclaim her car from a predatory towing company after it refuses to return her stolen vehicle.
“Tow” is premiering at Tribeca 2025 on Saturday, June 7. Byrne leads the ensemble cast, which also includes Oscar winners Octavia Spencer and Ariana DeBose, plus Demi Lovato, Elsie Fisher, and “The Holdovers” breakout Dominic Sessa. Stephanie Laing directs from a script written by Brant Boivin and Jonathan Keasey.
“It was so moving and wildly original and timely,” Bryne told IndieWire about first learning about the film. “It is a timely tale right now to tell. I am so proud we are bringing Amanda’s story to audiences. The fall into being unhoused is full of such assumption, prejudice, and ignorance from people. This tells a story of how it can happen to anyone, and hopefully, in a way that is not like homework but entertaining and moving. She is a character with such fight, humor, and spirit, and I feel the audience will root for her to win.”
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Director Laing was determined to have Byrne portray Ogle in the feature, especially after watching her performance on Apple TV+ series “Physical” while on set. “She has such depth and handles tricky tones with a delicate touch,” Laing said of the “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” star. “Rose disappears in this role. She’s also the queen of micro-expressions.”
“Tow” was filmed in only 19 days and for “very little money,” as “Friends and Neighbors” director Laing told IndieWire. “It was a true indie filmmaking process,” she said. “It’s a great way to stretch yourself creatively, going from TV to indie films.”
The star-studded cast also made filming easy: “Working with Octavia [Spencer] was a dream,” Laing said. “She was our guiding light. I think Ariana’s performance brings the levity and she’s funny as hell but those dramatic moments really hit hard. Dominic is such a star and his instincts in the way he played Kevin were spot on. He had a different walk and the he held his hands. I was very lucky to have this cast. And let’s not forget to talk about how nice it is to see Simon Rex, also playing opposite of what we’ve seen him do in the last [‘Blink Twice’]. Everyone really came to play and crushed it. And Demi Lovato was fearless.”
As “Tow” gets ready to speed off into the world, Laing hopes that audiences resonate with Ogle’s crusade as much as she did. “When I first read the script I knew I had to tell Amanda’s story,” Laing said. “She’s tenacious and a fighter. I hope audiences walk away feeling hopeful. In many ways this is a film about being stuck in a broken system with very high stakes. Amanda never gave up. I hope that none of us do, when we need to fight for what is right and just in the world. I also hope we can be more kind. Start there, remember kindness.”
Check out the first look at “Tow” below.
