Sure, aliens are creepy, but is anything scarier than uncomfortable encounters with your friends and loved ones? This idea inspired Jacob Lees Johnson to write, alongside Davey Morrison and Martha Duzett, the film “I See the Demon,” which he also directed.
“I was thinking about the blind spots that we have in our relationships with friends, with loved ones, with spouses,” he says. “We sometimes think that we know exactly who a person is, especially if we’ve known them for a really long time. But I saw some experiences around me of where that was definitely not the case. And it’s unsettling to think, ‘Oh, I actually didn’t know this person,’ or ‘This person thought they knew me, but they really don’t.’”
Without spoiling the film’s twists and turns, “Demon” is the story of Lucy (Alexis Zollicoffer), who views a celestial event before entering her surprise birthday party, and begins to have an increasingly hallucinatory time. The indie sci-fi horror film debuted at the Cinequest Film Festival in March, and has been met with warm reviews from audiences at festivals like Grimmfest and Atlanta Horror Fest. On Oct. 23, “Demon” is set to kick off this year’s FilmQuest in Provo, Utah, which always selects a film made in the state as its opening-night premiere.
Zollicoffer says in order to get into the uniquely-shot scenes with her friend group, she had to seek answers and go with the flow of shooting the indie.
“I prayed a lot about ‘What is she experiencing?’ and ‘Why does she feel this way?’” Zollicoffer says. “How can I be as authentic as possible and really try to listen and receive everything that everyone is doing? It was wonderful because we did improv, and it was a little bit messy, so it made it easier to not just be waiting around for lines, but to always be active.”
Dave Martinez, who plays the mysterious partygoer Billy, agrees that the film really thrives due to the intimate chemistry of the cast.
“There was a lot of sitting and listening on my end, and watching all of these people come together and chat in between takes,” Martinez says. “We were creating something that had the potential to have that sort of feel and chumminess that felt really natural. The personalities just worked. I think certain things film is able to do, but I think there’s something that really is electric about having a group of friends.”
Martinez notes that the mind-bending plot has given audiences a cinematic experience to truly ponder.
“It’s great to have people resonate and simultaneously go, ‘I’m perplexed and I feel emotional,’” he says. “It feels wonderful to have that sort of recognition and to see this beautiful independent film start to get its legs. I hope it runs further because I think it has a broader appeal — not only because of the art that Jacob and the team brought, but I think the communicative spirit it possesses by questioning relationships, and also the heartache and new discoveries, and being absolutely terrified along the way.”
The shifting perceptions and twisty script created a formidable acting experience for Zollicoffer, who is nominated for Best Actress at FilmQuest.
“I did a lot of work ahead of time because I don’t like to waste time figuring things out on the day,” she says. ”I want to already come in knowing, so that if there are more realizations to make, we’re already starting at level ten, not level one.”
Johnson, who lives in Utah, is excited to debut his vision in his home state, where he enjoys the community of artists.
“I love shooting here,” he says. “We have really talented people, really talented actors and crew. There’s a reason why they shot all those Westerns back in the day out here. The landscapes you can get here are second to none. The vibe is everybody works hard and everybody’s really talented, but it doesn’t make you feel like someone’s going to stab you in the back.”
Watch the “I See the Demon” trailer below.
variety.com
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