As independent filmmaker Garrett Patten emerges as a voice to watch in contemporary thrillers, his latest film Self Custody is now reaching audiences worldwide. Along with its red carpet screening at SXSW, the cryptocurrency hriller is officially available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Tubi, marking a significant step in the film’s journey from festival buzz to global release.
Directed by Garrett Patten alongside Fernando Ferro and written by Daniel McCann, Self Custody explores the fragile boundary between independence and isolation through a story rooted in both modern finance and deeply personal stakes. At its center is a man whose obsessive pursuit of total control over his life and assets begins to unravel, revealing the emotional toll of carrying everything alone.
The film features performances from Odette Annable, Michael Monks, and former UFC champion Henry Cejudo, creating a tense character-driven thriller that reflects contemporary anxieties surrounding technology, trust, and the growing philosophy of financial self-reliance.
For Patten, the story began with a striking real-world statistic.
“It’s estimated that 30 to 40 percent of all Bitcoin has been lost or stolen, gone forever,” he explains. “There are countless real stories of people losing unimaginable fortunes. One man in London lost over $800 million when he accidentally threw away a hard drive that held his Bitcoin keys.”
That unsettling reality sparked the central question behind the film: what happens when total freedom becomes an unbearable responsibility?
“The idea that someone could hold a fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars on a single drive, with no backup, no bank, no safety net,” Patten says. “It’s complete self-reliance but also complete isolation.”
A Title With Two Meanings
The title Self Custody operates on two levels. In cryptocurrency culture, the term refers to managing digital assets independently without relying on banks or financial institutions. But for Patten, the phrase carries a deeper emotional resonance.
“Self Custody has a double meaning in the film,” he says. “On the surface, it refers to cryptocurrency—when someone holds their own digital assets on a private drive protected only by seed phrases. There’s no bank, no insurance, no safety net. The other meaning is psychological, being in self custody as in trapped within your own mind.”
That dual meaning mirrors the protagonist’s journey.
“He’s someone searching for control over his money, his past, his reality, and in the process he becomes his own prisoner,” Patten explains. “The title reflects that tension between freedom and isolation, power and loss.”
A Filmmaker Drawn to the Craft
Patten’s relationship with filmmaking began long before his professional career.
“As a kid, I was always making films, long before any of the tools we have today,” he recalls. “I started with a Sony camcorder and an early Adobe editing board on my computer, which could barely store a few minutes of footage.”
Though he initially built a career in business, the pull of storytelling eventually brought him back to filmmaking.
“After finding success there, I returned to my first love about ten years ago,” he says. “What I love most is the evolution from an idea to a scene. Each project becomes an obsession.”
His interest in acting developed through an unexpected path.
“My interest in acting started when I began studying at Ivana Chubbuck’s school, initially to understand how to better direct actors,” he explains. “But I fell in love with acting itself. It gave me a new level of respect for the emotional depth and discipline the craft requires.”
Building the Character From the Inside Out
Preparing for the role required months of psychological immersion.
“I spent months living in the character’s world, breaking down his objectives, inner obstacles, and emotional triggers,” Patten says. “To get into that headspace, I drew from moments in my own life, times of desperation, fear, and uncertainty, and used those as anchors.”
Balancing performance and directing presented its own challenge.
“It’s difficult to objectively judge your own performance while also keeping an eye on the broader vision,” he admits. “But extensive rehearsals helped. I recorded many of them and studied every detail so I could trust the process.”
Despite careful planning, Patten says the unpredictability of production ultimately strengthened the film.
“No matter how much you plan, each day on set brings unexpected challenges,” he says. “Sometimes the best scenes come from the chaos.”
Collaboration at the Center
The cast became essential in shaping the emotional tone of the film.
“Odette was unbelievable,” Patten says. “She pulled performances out of me that I didn’t even think were possible. Michael has this quiet confidence that grounded every scene. And Henry came in with total dedication and humility, his performance adds such raw energy.”
He credits the chemistry among the actors with elevating the film.
“The chemistry between everyone made Self Custody what it is,” he says. “You can feel it in every frame. It’s real.”
The film’s visual language also played a key role in reinforcing its themes.
“Our DP, Orlando, was incredible,” Patten notes. “Every shot had movement and purpose. He understood how to visually capture that feeling of unease and isolation.”
A Story for the Moment
While framed as a psychological thriller, Self Custody ultimately taps into universal fears.
“Everyone has experienced desperation at some point in their life,” Patten says. “For many men, one of the deepest fears is failing to provide for their family.”
The film also reflects broader cultural conversations surrounding cryptocurrency and digital independence.
“The concept of being your own bank sounds empowering,” Patten explains. “But it also comes with intense risk. The idea that your entire fortune could depend on a passcode or a forgotten seed phrase is incredibly stressful, and very human.”
At its core, the story explores a fundamental paradox.
“The film lives at that intersection between control and chaos, freedom and fear,” Patten says. “The illusion that we can ever truly keep what matters most safe.”
From SXSW Premiere to Global Streaming
Now streaming worldwide on Amazon Prime Video and Tubi, Self Custody arrives just as the conversation around digital autonomy and financial independence continues to accelerate. The film also screens at SXSW for a red carpet screening that brings the cast and filmmakers back to the Austin where the majority of filming happened. For Patten, the journey from concept to screen remains the most rewarding part of the process.
“My favorite moment is always the edit,” he says. “That’s when everything you imagined finally becomes real.”
With several new projects already in development, Patten appears poised to continue building momentum as a filmmaker navigating the intersection of technology, psychology, and modern life.
And with Self Custody now reaching audiences around the world, his voice as a storyteller is only beginning to gain attention.
