Painting ghosts
Raised in New Jersey, Manila-born director Tim Cruz attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts before starting his own music video production company. His credits including The Final Rose (2022), TUBI Originals’ What Happens in Miami (2024) and indie horror Don’t Let the Cat Out, which is currently in post-production. In his latest horror movie, Ladybug, Grayson is a young artist on the verge of major international success. To work on his next collection, titled “Ladybug”, without distraction, he decides to stay at the remote cabin owned by his family. Needing major repair work done, he hires handyman Sawyer to fix the place. But handsome Sawyer is hiding a terrible secret, for he was murdered by a homophobic serial killer, and his spirit is haunting the cabin, searching for long overdue justice. And now Grayson is being stalked by the same maniac responsible for the supernatural fate of his new lover.
Tim took some time out to discuss Ladybug, his background in filmmaking and influences…
Where did the premise of the film come from?
The premise for Ladybug originated with Anthony, who owned the cabin and had an interest in creating a supernatural revenge story set there. He invited me to co-write the script and be the film’s director. Anthony had already established the story’s foundation and, together, we developed the themes and crafted the rules of the film’s mythology. Our goal was to explore specific emotions and psychological depths.
I was particularly interested in examining the consequences of choosing isolation as a means of coping with unhealed wounds and how you can only run away from your truth for so long until it begins shaping your identity. Additionally, I wanted to explore the idea that revenge isn’t a noble cause but can actually be a self-indulgent justification for hate and, how indulging in revenge can ultimately make you the very thing you’re fighting against.
What is it about working in the horror genre you love so much?
One of the first movies I remember watching as a kid was a Filipino horror film series called Shake Rattle & Roll, of which they made 16 movies in total. My mom loves horror and action films and so I got to watch a lot of them with her. I have these memories of clinging to my mom as she laughed through the scares. I think she got a bit of a kick out of my fright and enjoyed the bonus of having her son want to snuggle up for protection [laughs].
My background in directing comes from photography and music videos, where I honed my skills in creating atmosphere. Horror and thrillers require such a sustained command of tone and atmosphere but felt like a natural transition for me. More importantly, I find the horror genre to be one where I can continually grow as a filmmaker. There’s so much I don’t know, and I rely on amazing artists and collaborators who have a deep understanding of both horror and thrillers. Working with Kenzo, my DP, Elizabeth, our PD, Greg, our SFX head, and Sarah, our editor, provides endless opportunities for movie magic. The collaborative process in horror filmmaking is incredibly rewarding and allows me to explore and push the boundaries of my creativity.
In retreat. Anthony Del Negro as Grayson
What are your influences as a filmmaker, within and beyond the realms of cinema and genre filmmaking?
I consider directing to be a practice that evolves and grows. I draw influence and inspiration from everything around me. My early loves in film that shaped me include classics like Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus and The Shining, Richard Donner’s The Omen, Robert Wise’s The Haunting and Walter Murch’s Return to Oz, which still lingers with me to this day.
I was fortunate to receive film mentorship in high school through a non-profit program at NYU called the Future Filmmakers Workshop. This program provided a collegiate-level film education and vital community to underserved individuals along with a solid foundation in film history. As a Filipino immigrant in NYC, I had no exposure to independent cinema or art house movies before this experience. It was there that I discovered transformative films like In the Mood for Love, City of God, Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, the Pang brothers’ The Eye (Gin Gwai), and Michael Haneke’s Caché. These films profoundly influenced me, especially in shaping the tonal approach to Ladybug.
“As a Filipino immigrant in NYC,
I had no exposure to independent
cinema or art house movies
before this experience.”
— Tim Cruz
Beyond cinema, literature also deeply inspires me. A recent influence is Kaveh Akbar’s novel Martyr!; a beautifully written story about a newly orphaned young man searching for a family secret that leads him to a painter. One quote from Akbar’s book particularly moved me: ‘Love is a room that appears when you step into it.’ This idea resonated deeply with me and inspired my visual approach to the relationship between Grayson and Sawyer in our film.
How do you feel your film reflects on how a minority are perceived and how have you used the horror genre to your advantage in exploring such important themes?
For the main protagonist, Sawyer, in his community, being honest about his sexuality as a gay man was impossible. He turns to an anonymous forum called Partyline to meet like-minded individuals, which exposes him to the ‘dangers of the outside world’. This aspect of the story is drawn from my personal experiences as an immigrant Filipino in the U.S., highlighting the past challenges of finding both community and acceptance. While modern technology has made it easier to connect with others, it still remains dangerous to be oneself in many parts of the world.
I’ll remain intentionally vague about the film’s plot to avoid spoilers, but it’s in these scenarios that I explore the profound impact of societal rejection. But I will add that the horror genre is particularly effective for exploring these themes. It allows us to amplify the fear and suspense associated with being vulnerable in a hostile environment. Through the lens of horror, we can push the conversation about the real-life threats faced by those denied a safe space to be themselves. By placing Sawyer in terrifying situations, the film magnifies the sense of danger and urgency, making the audience feel the weight of these issues more intensely.
Again, avoiding spoilers, I’m interested in how the McGuffin of the canvasses came about and how this device helped shape the story.
Rooted in a mythology we had to establish and create a logical framework for the supernatural elements. The concept of a soul tied to a place or object is prevalent in Southeast Asian folklore, providing a culturally grounded and convenient way to explain the supernatural occurrences in our narrative. We drew inspiration from Filipino mythology, where Anito refers to spirits of ancestors or nature spirits. These spirits are believed to inhabit objects such as statues or relics, protecting their descendants or the places they are connected to. If these spirits are disrespected or their objects neglected, they may haunt the living until proper rituals are performed to honour them. By incorporating this element, we were able to shape the story around the idea of spirits tied to the canvasses, allowing us to explore themes of reverence, neglect, and the consequences of disturbing the spiritual world.
Ladybug explores a few different strands of horror. Was this an intention from the offset or did the story evolve and demand more supernatural elements?
The development of Ladybug evolved organically during the writing and filming process. From the outset, we had a general direction, but as soon as we started verbalizing the story, it took on a life of its own. Certain elements naturally landed while others required rethinking and adjustment. Some of these changes were influenced by the circumstances and limitations of our small production, but I believe the core ideas we wanted to explore are intact. But your instinct is correct as various strands of horror emerged as the story demanded, allowing us to delve deeper into the themes and create a more nuanced non-traditional narrative.
What do you want an audience to take away from the film?
I hope they take away the idea that love exists outside of time and death. And to be careful out there!
Follow Tim on Instagram and find out more on his projects over at timcruzlovesyou.com.
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