Robb Wells
Rob
Overview
In this low-budget short film, two best buddies meet up for a night of booze-fueled fun before one of them moves to Vancouver.
Cast
11 people
Reviews
5 min readA Night Before the Fall
I keep thinking about the way Mike Clattenburg’s One Last Shot doesn’t announce itself as anything special. It’s a short film, just thirty minutes long, made in 1998 with what must have been a shoestring budget. No grand ambitions, no manifesto—just two friends, a night of drinking, and the quiet dread of an ending.
And yet, there’s something about it that lingers. Maybe it’s because we know what comes next: the same actors, the same director, the same world, but blown up into something bigger, louder, and far more famous. One Last Shot isn’t just a footnote to Trailer Park Boys; it’s the moment before the myth begins, when the characters are still just people, not yet legends.
The film follows two best friends—played by Robb Wells and John Paul Tremblay—on their last night together before one of them moves to Vancouver. That’s it. No heist, no dramatic betrayal, no life-or-death stakes.
Just two guys, a bottle of something cheap, and the unspoken weight of goodbyes. The synopsis makes it sound like a hangout movie, the kind of thing you’d watch with a beer in hand, half-paying attention. But what’s striking is how much isn’t said.
The camera lingers on their faces, on the way their bodies slump into chairs or fidget with beer bottles, as if waiting for a confession that never comes. There’s a scene, I’m sure of it, where one of them stares at the other for just a beat too long, and you realize they’re not just saying goodbye to each other—they’re saying goodbye to who they were together.
Clattenburg’s direction here is unassuming, almost invisible. There’s no flashy cinematography, no clever editing tricks. It’s the kind of filmmaking that doesn’t draw attention to itself, which is probably why it’s so easy to overlook.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe Early Days of Trailer Park Boys: Inside One Last Shot (1998)
Before Trailer Park Boys became a cult phenomenon, it was a scrappy short film called One Last Shot (1998). Directed by Mike Clattenburg, the project laid the groundwork for the mockumentary-style comedy that would later define the careers of Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay, and John Dunsworth. latestnetflix.com's read is that but in 1998, it was just a low-budget experiment—one that almost didn’t happen.
The Birth of a Cult Classic
One Last Shot was shot on a shoestring budget, with Clattenburg pulling together a cast of local actors from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The film follows a group of small-time criminals—Julian (Tremblay), Ricky (Wells), and Bubbles (played by Clattenburg himself in an early, uncredited role)—as they attempt one final heist before going straight. The premise is simple, but the chemistry between the leads is undeniable, foreshadowing the dynamic that would later make Trailer Park Boys a hit 
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu4i5kviwNU
The short film was originally intended as a proof of concept, a way to pitch the idea of a full series to networks. At the time, Clattenburg was best known for his work in Canadian indie film, and One Last Shot was his attempt to blend dark humor with documentary-style realism. The result was raw, unpolished, and—most importantly—funny .
The Cast Before the Fame
Many of the actors in One Last Shot would go on to star in Trailer Park Boys, but in 1998, they were relative unknowns. Robb Wells (Ricky) and John Paul Tremblay (Julian) had worked together before, but this was their first collaboration with Clattenburg. John Dunsworth, who played Jim Lahey, was already a familiar face in Canadian theater, but his role in One Last Shot marked his first major on-screen appearance in the franchise .
Sherry Devanney, who played Ricky’s girlfriend, was one of the few actors in the film who didn’t reprise her role in the later series. Little is known about her post-One Last Shot career, but her performance in the short film remains a standout for fans who’ve tracked down the rare footage .
**From Short Film to Series: The Legacy of *One Last Shot***
After One Last Shot screened at local festivals, Clattenburg used it to secure funding for a full Trailer Park Boys series, which debuted in 2001. The short film’s success was a turning point, proving that the characters and humor had mass appeal. Clattenburg later described it as "the moment everything clicked" .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmQ9cHkEmQY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLxcpIsrbU
Today, One Last Shot is a holy grail for Trailer Park Boys fans. It’s rarely available in full, but clips and trailers circulate online, offering a glimpse into the origins of the franchise. The film’s rough-around-the-edges charm is part of its appeal—it’s a reminder of how far the cast and crew have come since those early days .
Why It Almost Didn’t Happen
Rumors persist that One Last Shot was nearly abandoned due to budget constraints. Clattenburg reportedly maxed out credit cards and borrowed equipment to finish the shoot, a gamble that paid off when the film caught the attention of producers. While these details remain unconfirmed, they fit the scrappy, DIY ethos of the project .
For fans, One Last Shot isn’t just a footnote—it’s the blueprint for Trailer Park Boys. Without it, the world might never have met Ricky, Julian, or Bubbles.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.