Kill the Prince

by Dan Fogarty

Nico Baldwin is a mixed martial artist on the cusp of stardom who hides his concussions from his girlfriend and his coach. He’s also hiding a deeper psychological wound, born from a childhood trauma in a Lower East Side park. After a particularly violent fight, Nico’s concussion symptoms accelerate: insomnia, intrusive thoughts, and visions of figures lurking outside his luxury Manhattan apartment become the norm. Nico’s relationship with his girlfriend implodes under the weight of his paranoia, spurring a crisis of masculinity. As his mask of sanity slips, Nico accepts a bout with The Prince, a dangerous Welsh middleweight. Kill the Prince is Rocky as a psychological thriller, with hints of Sally Rooney and Ling Ma.