Filmmaker-cinematographer Derick Halliman makes his feature directorial debut with Life of Mike, an emotionally charged thriller about ambition, betrayal, and a birthday that changes everything.
Miko DeFoor stars as Mike Smith, a hard-edged real-estate tycoon whose life is built on control, money, and ruthless efficiency. Alongside him are Shareese “Res” Ballard as his wife Celeste with Roberto “Sanz” Sanchez, Charlotte Haynes Hazzard, Toni Belafonte, Jeff Cole, Shaun Mixon, Ole Goode among the supporting cast.
Life of Mike premiered earlier this year in theaters in Atlanta, and opened in New York at Village East by Angelika on November 28, 2025 then in London at Genesis Cinema on December 5, 2025.
It follows Mike Smith (Miko DeFoor), a thriving real estate tycoon, who lives a life devoid of close friends or family. As his birthday unfolds, his wife Celeste (Shareese Ballard) makes a heartfelt attempt to show him love, setting off a chain of events that shatter his expectations. By day’s end, Mike is confronted with the stark reality of who genuinely cares for him and who does not.
In a candid conversation after the film’s Los Angeles DGA screening, Derick Halliman explained his approach to filmmaking, “It took us thirty days to shoot. I’m trying to have a philosophy of more days, smaller crew. These days, most people are going with fewer days, larger crews. I don’t want to take that philosophy. I’d rather pay the talent, locations, or set design and things [to] work in more days. Because I feel like when you have actors that you’re trying to shoot ten pages in a day, they can’t get into it. So, I’d rather spend a little bit more money on sets or locations and then have the actors focus on shooting a couple pages at the time.”
Watch the official trailer for Life of Mike above.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.