PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Check out our interview with Concrete Plans (read our review here) Director Will Jewell, where we talk poker, his filmmaking journey, tasty concrete recipes, and more!
PopHorror: I see this is your narrative feature debut. How does that make you feel? What’s your journey as a filmmaker been like?
Will Jewell: Well, relief we got there! It’s always a journey to get to the point where you’re in a position to be trusted and backed with a feature film budget. I actually started in music, but my lyrics became more narrative, and I moved into screenwriting… did some TV bits then started directing through shorts, a feature documentary about UK hip hop called South Coast, then finally to Concrete Plans. So it’s been quite a ride.
PopHorror: The movie definitely shows a strong connection between you and its themes of upper vs working class. Are there any specific movies or personal anecdotes that inspired you?
Will Jewell: The film was developed over the past 5-6 years, and I think the inequalities between the rich and poor have widened drastically in that time. Now even the rich are left behind by the super rich, so it just felt very much of its time. On the other end, you have the rise of the gig economy and the erosion of any sort of job security, and I just felt the main characters in this film—the builders—really embodied that perilous existence and putting up with abysmal living conditions and treatment.
In terms of particular films on that theme, I’ve always had a soft spot for The Admirable Chrichton which isn’t an in your face rich versus poor film, but is almost more powerful for that.
PopHorror: I noticed that poker plays a major part in the movie and the decisions the characters make. What made you decide to use that game over any other?
Will Jewell: I’ve always loved poker! I think it’s because it’s as much a game of skill and risk as it’s about playing the player, psyching them out and second guessing them—which makes it ideal for the tense thriller scenes in the film. Given they’re living in moldy trailers, the TV doesn’t work, and all they do every night is play cards, it also felt very much of the world and a good way for them to make key decisions.
PopHorror: Speaking of the poker scenes, they contain a wonderful amount of character work. Would you like to discuss your directorial intentions for each of the poker scenes?
Will Jewell: I’m glad you appreciated all the character detail in those scenes! I essentially approached those two big card scenes like they were self-contained plays. They always had quite strong themes. The first was Culture Clash Cards, where the Captain awkwardly tries to make amends after losing his rag with the men but they’re from such different sides of the tracks it just makes things worse. The other scene is the pivot in the center of the film, and I always wanted to be a real moral dilemma for the audience – what would they do? Would they take that gamble?
PopHorror: Spoiler-talk… where do you envision the surviving characters after the film?
Will Jewell: Wow, good question, I’ve never been asked that! Well, more spoilers, but there aren’t many survivors… I think Dave is finally enjoying the retirement he’s earned, hopefully somewhere hot and sunny. Richard would be still relieving rich people of their money, and Amy would probably be on another, bigger scam, though I loved the way Amber [Rose Revah] played her with a real weariness in those final scenes. I have a sense that maybe she’s tired of her footloose, grifter existence and is maybe looking for something more from life.
PopHorror: Goran Bogdan’s Ukrainian refugee character, Viktor, feels like the soul of the film in a largely UK cast. Was there a particular reason you chose him as the framework of the film and its emotional moments?
Will Jewell: I saw Goran in The Last Panthers on SKY Atlantic and thought he was electrifying and never dreamed he’d say yes to our little film! I think Viktor is, as you say, the soul of the film and a vital part. If you pass any building site in Britain, a good number of the laborers will be East European, usually paid substantially less, so he was a reflection of reality. Also, in Britain around the build-up to the Brexit referendum, there was so much demonization of outsiders that I felt making him the heart of the film and its moral compass was a statement. There were also a lot of Spaghetti Western influences in the film, and he’s also a nod to that… the stranger in a strange land who blows into town in the opening scenes…
PopHorror: What made you choose a more electronic sound like Paul Hartnoll’s to score the film?
Will Jewell: I’d loved Paul’s work both in Orbital and also in composing scores for series such as Peaky Blinders, and whilst he works in electronica, he samples a lot of instruments, so it’s almost a reflection of those analogue, more traditional instruments through electronica. In the score, he samples brass, strings, and all sorts of instruments. The only live instrument was a day of guitar. I was going to play some bass on there, but I was in the edit all the time so it didn’t work out. I think there’s something glacial and expansive about the electronic score that really seems to reflect the scale of the mountains, and I love his score. Paul is very cine-literate, and it was a joy working with him and a very productive process.
PopHorror: Do you have any stories from set you’d like to share?
Will Jewell: The scene in which—spoiler alert—Simon (Kevin Guthrie) is buried in concrete was actually his birthday, so once the “concrete” [grey porridge] was up to the tip of his nose I called, “Cut!” We pulled him out, wrapped him in a space blanket to warm him up then the whole crew sung him Happy Birthday and threw a surprise party. To “die” on your birthday is very Shakespearean. Given that we shot the film in just 15 days, you can imagine how full on the shoot was, so that blowing off of steam was much needed. The manor house in the film was also the base. There were about 25 crew living there as well as it being the main location!
PopHorror: Who would you recommend check out Concrete Plans?
Will Jewell: Everyone, obviously!
PopHorror: Finally, thank you so much for your time. Is there anything else you’d like to add or share?
Will Jewell: I hope the PopHorror readers love the film! It’s been a mission to get it made, but I’m really looking forward to seeing what a US audience makes of it.
We enjoyed it, Will, and hope our readers do as well! Read our review here. The film is currently available on VOD in the US.
