PopHorror Let's Get Scared
If you’re looking for a new spooky film to check out, the new supernatural thriller, Marionette, is definitely one I’d recommend. I recently had a chat with the director, Elbert van Strien, about his career, how he came with the idea for Marionette, the casting process, and much more!
PopHorror – Hi there. How has your year been?
Elbert van Strien – Well, despite the pandemic, I had a great year. I was mainly writing and developing new exciting projects. And Marionette was sold to a lot of countries and will be released in the US!
PopHorror – Hell yes! How did you get into filmmaking?
Elbert van Strien – I drew comic books before going to film school. Actually, the original idea of Marionette was for a new comic book all the way back in 1987. I then turned it into my graduation film on which Marionette is based.
PopHorror – Wow. That’s awesome! Do you enjoy the horror genre and if so, what’s your favorite horror movie?
Elbert van Strien – I love intelligent genre films. I’m an admirer of the American cinema from the 70s when genre and artistic voice were combined. Films like Parallax View, Chinatown, Taxi Driver belong to my favorites, and also the work of Kubrick and Nicholas Roeg. But I like horror too, maybe not so much the slashers, but more like the ones with a lot of suspense, such as The Ring. My all-time favorite horror film is Rosemary’s Baby. It is so well written and the direction is sublime.
PopHorror – All great films! Tell us about your new film Marionette?
Elbert van Strien – It is a supernatural thriller about a boy who can control his psychiatrist’s future. On the one hand a thrilling, scary genre film, but also a film about the age-old question of whether we have free will – are we in charge of our fates or do we need to follow the path laid out before us? It is a film with many twists and turns and deeper layers. Something to chew on for the audience.
PopHorror – Love it. What inspired this story?
Elbert van Strien – I have no idea how I came up with the idea, it is just too long ago. The original short was a reflection on my religious upbringing. I still remember the discussions about predestination my father had. So at the time, I was trying to find my view on these big questions, but at that point, it was more like a reckoning. Over the years these questions stayed with me, almost like an obsession, so I had to figure out how to relate to them. I think genre films, especially horror, give a great and unique opportunity to explore darker themes and the dark corners of our soul. Marionette is very psychological but is also a film about the metaphysical. What is reality, what is real, or the connection between consciousness and the universe? This is why I used Schrödinger’s Cat in the story: how something gets real because you have a look.
PopHorror – I love the concept. How did the casting process come about?
Elbert van Strien – For Marianne, I needed an actress who is credible as a psychiatrist and who you relate with even when she goes through these extremes. Thekla was the perfect match and a really great actress. I worked with an excellent casting director from the UK: Simone Pereira Hind. She cast a great and very fine ensemble cast for Marionette, with great British and Scottish actors, like Peter Mullan, Bill Paterson, Emun Elliott, and Rebecca Front. For Manny, we scouted like 160 boys in Scotland and there were three that could act really well, but none of them fit the part. So we widened our search and did another round in London and there he was: Elijah immediately jumped out. His self-tape was incredible. It will probably be an extra on DVD: so intense and a really really scary performance! Originally that scene was only on an audiotape in the script, but after I saw Elijah on his self-tape, I immediately put that on screen.
PopHorror – Any favorite scenes?
Elbert van Strien – There are many scenes in Marionette I love. The mystery and silent eeriness in the scene where Manny draws Kieran or the scene of the kidnap and right after; or right before when we only see the roads and hear Manny ranting and shouting to Marianne’s predecessor. Originally those roads were plates for VFX car scenes, but in the editing, I decided to leave out the car and Marianne in front – somehow those roads were much more cinematic. But of all scenes, I think I love the third act sequence most, the one that starts with the scrabble scene. I think it’s very scary and thrilling and it was a total surprise for us in the editing how well it worked.
PopHorror – What do you hope audiences take away from this film?
Elbert van Strien – It is not up to me what people take away from this film. It is up to the audience now. But of course, I hope that, besides entertainment, audiences will find food for thought in my film, and maybe some sort of perspective on how to look at these big questions, especially regarding the role of perception, which, for me personally, plays a key role in all this.
PopHorror – I hope so too! Any other upcoming projects?
Elbert van Strien – I have several projects in an advanced stage of development, early financing. One of them is an English language political paranoia thriller about technology and how it changes our reality and identity. It is a bit in the vane of Mr.Robot, but also a bit Lynchy – a mindfuck film that also goes into the territory of psychoanalysis. The other one is Goodbye Mr Lebedev, a neo-noir crime thriller with elements of espionage and black comedy. There is more on my shelf in various stages of development, incl. a scifi, but financing will show which one goes first.
PopHorror – All of that sounds wonderful. I look forward to all of your films and projects! Marionette is now available On Demand on Cable, Amazon, and Vimeo!
