Cellar dweller
Writer/director Sophie Osbourne is a young British talent to keep an eye on. Having found her love for filmmaking after completing an MA in Dramatic Writing at Drama Centre London, since then, she has written a play, a TV pilot, short films and a bunch of low-budget feature films; many of which have been produced and released under a previous name.
The Monster Beneath Us is one of two upcoming films; a Gothic tale that evokes those classic British ghost stories such as the works of M.R. James. Set in windswept Yorkshire, in 1898, a grieving woman and her son move back to the unoccupied house of her ex-husband, who was recently found dead in mysterious circumstances. However, they soon discover they are not alone inside the icy house in a slow-burn horror, exploring the themes of isolation, otherness and loss. The house is home to a Boggart, an evil solitary supernatural spirit of English folklore, and each haunted character reacts to the malevolent evil.
Sophie spent some time discussing the Gothic influence on her work and economy of filming her period piece horror.
Where did the seed of the idea come from for The Monster Beneath Us?
It’s an interesting story, actually. Rebecca — my producer and lead in the film — approached me with a request to write a feature set around a specific location — a basement — that she had access to. We came up with the idea of a “creature” living in this basement and terrorising a small family suffering from the loss of a loved one, but the first three drafts of Monster were written for a contemporary, suburban setting. During one of our feedback sessions, Rebecca asked: “What if we put it in a period setting?” That was how Monster transformed into what it is now. It meant a lot of research into the late 1800s, but the depth and atmosphere it gave the film can’t be replaced.
The film has an economy, making prime use of the Yorkshire setting and season. Was this thought about before you even put pen to paper to help increase the chances of making a debut feature?
Once we had decided to set Monster in the late 1800s, we always knew it needed to be in a large, isolated house, in the depths of winter. The shorter days, constant cold and moody, misty surroundings were perfect to help create a feeling of our small family, especially Grace, being trapped and slowly suffocated by the Manor and its secrets. Rebecca is originally from Beverly, too, so she knew Yorkshire would be the perfect setting for the film — beautiful landscapes but a biting cold in January! For example, that beautiful frozen lake for one particular scene was a complete accident (and miracle). No amount of production planning or budget could have done that for us!
What is it about the Gothic you love so much?
I find there’s something very instinctive about our reaction to the Gothic; it speaks to a part of us that we don’t think about much within our modern-day lives. It invites the dark in and, therefore, questions how we would react in those places (and spaces); if those things were happening to us — within a setting that is so far from our own contemporary world — shows how we would deal with those circumstances. I think playing with the Gothic elevates a film and makes it more dramatic and unnerving without necessarily giving away too much. It leans on watchers’ imaginations and our crew’s skills with a camera, rather than quick frights and gore, for example. Not that those don’t have their place… I just find the Gothic fun to play with!
“It seemed serendipitous,
that the Boggart was a common
Yorkshire myth that fit so well with
what we were trying to convey.”
— Sophie Osbourne
How much did you dig into the mythic elements and folklore of the creature at the heart of the story?
It might seem unusual, but it was actually reverse-engineered. We knew we wanted our creature to act both as a physical and menacing presence but also as a personification of grief and the multiple ways grief can be processed by the individual. For example (without giving anything away), Charlie befriends the monster while Grace ignores it. Once we knew how our creature acted and what setting we were in, I began researching creatures from English folklore. It seemed serendipitous, that the Boggart was a common Yorkshire myth that fit so well with what we were trying to convey: a malevolent creature creating mishaps in the home, a feeling of being smothered… so our creature had a name! I could really lean into that to help move things forward and dig deeper with the characters.
There is something very modern in its casting and doesn’t pander in trying to explain its diversity and gender fluidity. Could you explain a little more about this approach to what can often remain a problem for the “prim and proper” approach to a British period piece?
It was important to both Rebecca and I that our film was thoroughly inclusive, both in front of and behind the camera. With diversity and inclusion comes wealth and vast depth of knowledge, and in a collaborative environment, this can only make a project excel. It doesn’t matter to me that some would consider having a multiracial cast not “authentic” or “proper” in Monster’s time period — there’s a monster in the basement, I wouldn’t call that proper either!
Mood piece. THE MONSTER BENEATH US is drenched in atmosphere
What are your influences as a filmmaker — within and beyond the realms of cinema and genre filmmaking?
The Others, The Woman in Black and Crimson Peak. I have always enjoyed slow-burn horror and thrillers; those films that can get under your skin and that you’re still thinking about days later. M. Night Shyamalan, Danny Boyle and Alfred Hitchcock are all directors I admire for having this ability, to play with what an audience is perceiving. It’s also worth mentioning my cast as Rebecca is my story partner and had a massive influence on this film. As a writer, you only have your own ideas to play with, but something truly wonderful happens when someone else reads and interprets your words. I always welcome feedback and strive for a collaborative environment on set. I want to know how an actor thinks and feels their character should work, and if that influences my own ideas on that character, so be it.
What do you want an audience to take away from your film?
A few things: I hope the audience enjoys the film and that they find it entertaining, thought-provoking and thrilling. I hope it is something they’d also want to watch again; to see what they’ve missed the first time around after the mystery is uncovered. I hope it leaves them curious about what the creature really is… and that the film helps them recognise that grief, and dealing with loss, while a hugely individual thing, does not mean they are alone.
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