Brad Anderson has slowly but surely proven to be one of the most efficient and solid filmmakers in the horror/thriller genre. It’s odd to think that the writer/director of such quirky romantic character studies as Happy Accidents and Next Stop Wonderland would go on to make such decidedly unsettling films as The Machinist and Session 9. The Call marks the next stepping-stone in Anderson’s career – it’s easily the most mainstream of the indie filmmaker’s work and instead of the slow burn menace of Transsiberian or Session 9, The Call eschews that in favor of plain old-fashion white-knuckle thrills. However, The Call – still feels at one with Anderson. It’s a successful blending of mainstream material with Anderson’s more perverse and indie sensibilities.
In the following interview with Brad Anderson, he discusses balancing his own ‘auteurship’ while adjusting his style to someone else’s material, the importance of pace/editing and his penchant for ‘contained-space’ films.
Brad Anderson Time Index:
- 00:00 – What is it about contained spaces that fascinates Anderson?
- 01:32 – Anderson on the challenges of shooting coverage in confined spaces
- 02:28 – On crafting the ‘pace’ for the film
- 03:00 – On balancing his auteurship while adjusting his style to the material
