There's a buzz about FrightFest 2024 about the movie The Creature Beneath Us so we thought we'd better chat to its director, Sophie Osbourne.
NYX: Are you a fan of horror movies?
SO: Absolutely! I’m a bigger fan of the classics than recent horror films because (total transparency) I’m easily frightened, haha! Psycho, Scream, and Alien are all some of my absolute favourites. Newer ones on my list include Final Destination, Annihilation and A Quiet Place. Personally I love when horror is blended with other genres, creating worlds and characters that may not have been explored before.
NYX: Where did the idea for The Monster Beneath Us come from?
SO: It all started when Rebecca approached me about writing a film set around a basement; she had access to one and we were looking to create something that we could deliver on a low budget. An unorthodox way in but it worked for us, and we created the story around the location. The first three drafts were written with a contemporary setting before Rebecca asked the question that changed everything - what if we made it a period piece? That was how The Monster Beneath Us turned into the film it is now. It was a lot of extra work but worth the effort!
NYX: Did you write it with a cast in mind?
SO: No, apart from our protagonist Grace. Rebecca, as well as being an incredible producer, is also a hugely talented actress. She wanted a character she could sink her teeth into and I was more than happy to help create one.
NYX: Is this your second feature, and what did you learn from your first film which helped you with this one?
SO: The Monster Beneath Us is actually my debut as a writer-director, filmed in January 2023*. It’s taken us a while to get here and I was hugely supported by our tremendous cast and crew, especially my insanely creative, thoughtful and talented Director of Photography, Dom Hopking. He turned every shot into a work of art.
*My second is Tale of the Forest Unicorn, filmed in November 2023. A family-fantasy feature which was clearly a 180 in terms of genre!
NYX: Did it take long to find such an amazing location?
SO: Luckily, not long at all. Rebecca was already aware of the Manor because of previous projects; she had a contact there who agreed to hire it out to us for the duration of production. Rebecca is also originally from Yorkshire, so it was nice to be able to go back to her roots and use the landscape to our advantage.
NYX: Was the whole movie shot there and how tough was it?
SO: Yes, the whole thing was shot on location. One of the biggest issues was the weather; it was mid-January and the temperature was sitting around 0 degrees. While it made for some beautiful settings and effects, it also sometimes made filming extremely tricky. For example, we had to keep lenses warm to stop them getting condensation and have extra preparation for outdoor and basement shooting - when you see Grace and Charlie’s breath in the basement, it’s very real. It was that cold on set. The other biggest issue was hiding modern appliances and fixtures within the house to keep it authentic to the time period; if you look closely at our backgrounds, you’ll find lots of cover ups!
NYX: The film looks very “Hammer gothic”, was this the style you were going for?
SO: Once we had decided to put the film in the late 1800s, we knew we wanted to go Gothic. There’s something about flames and shadows - whether by candle, lamp or wood fire - that I find makes pre-electricity time periods so dramatic and haunting. We had the classic Gothic moody backdrops and brooding characters, and as our influences included Crimson Peak and The Woman in Black, it’s safe to say we were leaning into it!
NYX: Did you have much of a budget to work with?
SO: I’m sure any director would say they wished they had more budget to work with, and filming The Monster Beneath Us was no different. However, I am incredibly proud of how the film has turned out with the budget we had; it was a lot of hard graft, thinking outside the box, and one or two weather miracles (what budget do you need for a frozen lake?). I am astounded and honoured that so many people put their time, effort and care into making this film a reality. There are so many individuals behind the scenes to thank for going above and beyond.
NYX: How did you go about designing the monster itself?
SO: Rebecca and I worked closely on this. We knew we wanted it to be a creature, but humanoid rather than animal. We knew it needed to fit in with the setting and appear more like something out of folklore than sci-fi, or we’d get it wrong. I thought a lot about the ‘uncanny valley’ and how seeing something that feels human but is not becomes unsettling and scary, which is what I wanted to evoke. It needed to be human enough that Charlie could encounter it and not have fear be his first reaction, but different enough that we as the audience see it for the threat it is.
NYX: Will you be nervous when the movie has its world premiere at FrightFest 2024?
SO: I expect so! I’ve never had a world premiere or a film at FrightFest so those are huge firsts. Saying that, even just knowing that friends, family and horror fans alike will be watching something I’ve created on the big screen will be cause for nerves. I hope everyone enjoys it.
NYX: So, what are you working at the moment?
SO: I have a few ideas I’m playing with for my next feature, but not settled on anything yet. Two of the projects that excite me most are an action-thriller set in 1950s post-war England, and an action-horror set in medieval Britain. Both female led features, as it happens, with plenty of twists and turns. But saying any more than that would be telling!
NYX: Sophie Osbourne, thank you very much.
