A creature feature with a difference comes to FrightFest this year, Brock Bodell's superb Hellcat. We chatted to him about this rather smart take on an old genre.
NYX: Where did the idea for Hellcat come from?
BB: I wanted to write something in a small space with big ideas and I saw a box truck in a home depot parking lot and thought, "It'd be terrifying to wake up in the back of one of those!" My wife agreed and I couldn't stop writing about it.
NYX: Did the script take long to get right?
BB: The script happened pretty quickly, I got a first draft down super fast, as I tend to do. Then went through probably 6 months of revisions.
NYX: Did Dakota Gorman audition for the character of Lena and how did she prepare to play such a demanding role?
BB: She auditioned and knocked it out of the park. I knew she was the one the moment I saw her on her tape. We had lots of discussions about what it means to be Lena and what her life looks like, and which emotions her actions would stem from in the trailer - Fear or Strength.
NYX: Todd Terry has an incredible voice, was that what helped him get his role?
BB: Yep. 100% He had such a great inflection. It felt brooding, but also at times, very fatherly and vulnerable.
NYX: How hard was it shooting from such a small set for most of the movie?
BB: It presented problems, that then presented creative solutions.
NYX: This is your first feature as a director, were you nervous first day on set?
BB: Of course. Very nervous. By the second day I was comfortable taking chances, and was able to settle into the role more comfortably.
NYX: What lessons in directing did you learn?
BB: Get all the shots you can out of the set up. Don't push things down the road unless you have to. If it will take an extra 30 minutes to get the shot in a particular set up, try and get it. Because if you keep kicking the can down the road, you will end up shooting picks ups.
NYX: The movie has a smart “Twilight Zone” edge to it, was this deliberate and are you a fan of that classic anthology series?
BB: I am a fan of Twilight Zone for sure, but I tend to think in high concept. So when I was writing this script, I was thinking really high concept.
NYX: It has the theme of “the value of family” at its value, would you agree?
BB: 100% It's the most permeating theme. I'm a father of two, and that is where so much of this story comes from,
NYX: Zak Engel’s score is sublime, is there any chance it’ll get its own release?
BB: He is my oldest collaborator. One of my dearest friends. I'd love to be able to do that for him!
NYX: Do you believe in the paranormal?
BB: I like to believe that there is magic in the world. That there's a whole dimension of life that we don't necessarily experience. So in that sense, yeah for sure.
NYX: Will you be nervous when Hellcat has its UK premiere at FrightFest 2025?
BB: I feel really good about the film. I don't think nervous is the right word, but I will be really hopeful that people dig it!
NYX: So, what are you up to at the moment?
BB: Sitting next to my kids while they watch Moana. Getting deliverables ready for distribution, and waiting for the call that someone has money for my next one.
NYX: Brock Bodell, thank you very much.
