The intense new trailer for American Dreamer from Saban films has dropped and it has us looking at Jim Gaffigan in a new light. The comedian is taking on his most intense role yet in the thriller from relatively newcomer Derrick Borte (London Town). Gaffigan (Being Frank) plays a rideshare driver who goes to extreme lengths in order to free himself from crushing debt.

In order to maintain custody rights of his son, Cam (Jim Gaffigan) needs to make some extra cash. So, he starts chauffeuring a low level drug dealer named Mazz, played by Robbie Jones (Temptations: Confessions of a Marriage Councilor). The pay isn't enough, so he finds another way. He kidnaps the dealer's child in hopes of getting ransom. To make things more complicated, Mazz enlists Cam to drive him around the city. Gaffigan had this to say about his character.

"This guy, he's like an Uber or Lyft driver who's had some bad luck, he tried the white-collar job, and instead of looking at his own problems he's looking for that quick fix to get out of it...This guy is trying to piece his life together in the easiest, most selfish way."

Although dramatic, the character isn't quite so far removed from Gaffigan's usual less-than-intelligent characters. The star went on to say this.

"He doesn't set out to do that. All the motivations of my character are not evil, but maybe they're a little dimwitted. Hopefully, you see him justify these actions. It's not for comedic effect. It's like, 'Oh, dude, don't do that.'"

The indie film hopes to use the limited setting and tense character interplay to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. For movies like Drive and Collateral, this has worked great. Others haven't been so lucky. The high-energy trailer promises a captivating performance from stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan. He's most known for his TV series, The Jim Gaffigan Show, which ran from 2015 to 2016 and comedic supporting roles in films such as Hot Pursuit and Super Troopers 2.

But, early reviews hail his intense and nuanced performance in American Dreamer. He'll be working alongside Robbie Jones' Mazz for the bulk of the film. Jones made his debut as troubled teenager, Quentin Fields, on One Tree Hill. Then, after a series of guest or recurring roles for the small screen and little known films, he snagged a role in Tyler Perry's Temptation and another in Samuel L. Jackson's 2019 Shaft. If he can pull off the erratic and ruthless drug dealer hinted at in the trailer, American Dreamer may just work.

The film is co-written by relatively newcomers Daniel Forte and director Derrick Borte. It's produced by Scott Floyd Lochmus (London Town). The three creators had previously worked on the low-budget film H8RZ. American Dreamer is also starring Tammy Blanchard, Isabel Arraiza, and Brian K. Landis. American Dreamer first premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and will be released to theaters, digital and on-demand on September 20. This news comes to us by way of Collider.

American Dreamer poster