NYWIFT Blog

By Daryl Bright Clay

Let’s welcome our new NYWIFT member, Emily Bennett!

Writer/Director Emily Bennett is an Academy-recognized screenwriter and award-winning director, notably winning a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for her debut horror/thriller Alone With You. Her films have screened at festivals such as Sitges, Fantasia, Fantastic Fest, Brooklyn Horror and BIFAN.

Bennett’s debut feature Alone With You was produced with Andrew Corkin’s and Theo James’ Untapped Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and premiered at Fantastic Fest in 2021.

As an actress, audiences can see Bennett in Chris Stuckmann’s NEON acquired debut feature film Shelby Oaks, produced by horror legend Mike Flanagan. Bennett is repped by Antonio D’Intino at Spectrevision and former CAA agent/entertainment lawyer Marc Von Arx of Nelson Davis LLP.

Emily sat down with us to discuss her directing philosophy and her love of genre.

NYWIFT Member Emily Bennett

You’ve had an impressive career both as a screenwriter and director. How did you first get into the world of filmmaking, and what inspired you to specialize in psychological thrillers and horror?

Like many other filmmakers in my generation, I made movies with my dad’s camcorder when I was little. They were either stop motion animation short films with my action figures, or remakes of thrillers or horror films. I was a shy kid, but not behind the camera. Making movies immediately made people want to hang out with me. It made me feel part of a team, which is one thing I love most about what I do.

It was only after working as a professional actress for many years that I realized I could direct films professionally. I started making short films out of a deep sense of loneliness I felt in the world. I’ve never felt that I belonged anywhere, but the act of creating a film immediately gave me a team again. It was a return to that feeling I loved as a child.

Paradoxically, the most deeply disturbing and horrific films often give me a sense of joy I don’t get from other genres. There’s a catharsis that happens when I write/direct/watch psychological thriller and horror films. These films feel akin to Shakespearean tragedies to me, which were always my favorite Shakespeare plays. Through violence, suspense and symbolism, thriller/horror films can reach places in my brain that other genres can’t always reach.

Because of the genre element, my brain is more likely to open itself to a world of fantasy, and when my mind is less tied to reality it has the best chance to grow and see the world in a different light. The ability for horror films to shift the paradigm of how I see my life is endlessly fascinating to me. I hope to share that gift with others through my films.

Your background as an actress, particularly your training at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, seems to deeply inform your directing style. How has your experience as an actor influenced your approach to directing, especially when it comes to working with performers?

Being an actor has allowed me to spy on directors my whole life. Very few directors get to watch other directors work, but as an actor, I’ve seen everything! This gives me invaluable perspective as a director. 

I’ve noticed that directors can sometimes fall into two different categories: They’re either intimidated by their actors, or they take on a “teaching” persona rather than a “directing” persona. 

The former director has likely come from film school or a technical background, and is likely very proficient in the mechanics of filmmaking but sometimes feels alienated from working with actors. After all, actors aren’t machines. 

The latter kind of director has likely read too many books on how to direct actors in film. But many of the books I’ve read seem better suited for acting teachers, not directors. There sometimes seems to be confusion between teaching and directing. Directors are there to serve many purposes, but they are not on set to teach actors how to act. Actors know how to act. That’s why they get jobs. My job as a director is usually to step back and help when an actor gets lost or needs structure or guidance. I’m there to convey the greater story they’re a part of, to help them unlock something in themselves, then step back and let them shine. 

I have undying respect and empathy for actors, and I love working with actors from different methodologies. My training thankfully gave me a great vocabulary and ability to adjust from actor to actor, and from film to film. I have a bag of tricks, sure. But once I can tap into an actor’s specific wavelength and work with them in a way that resonates within the greater story we’re telling, something magical happens. I live for those experiences. 

You’ve mentioned being fascinated with absurdism, feminine jouissance, and humor as a reaction to pain. Can you elaborate on how these themes manifest in your work, particularly in the context of horror and psychological thrillers?

I love emotional contradiction and paradox, and I think film explores these very complicated ideas in the most dynamic ways of any other art form. After all, film utilizes every art form (visual art, music, acting, movement, etc.) to convey stories and emotions beyond pure explanation. It’s the ultimate playground.

I’m fascinated with experiences and emotions beyond the realm of logic. Feminine jouissance fits into that because it explores the pain that comes when you get to the other side of pleasure. When love becomes agony. When pain becomes some form of ultimate joy and transcendence. There’s a contradiction and yet a truth about it.

The same goes for absurdism and finding humor in the darkest experiences. I love contradictions like this because that’s how life feels to me. I think the best films don’t provide answers. They ask questions that you’ll continue asking yourself for the rest of your life. 

What brought you to NYWIFT?

In the midst of the 2024 election, I found myself anxious and wanting to connect with likeminded women in film. My friend and wonderful filmmaker, Ise White, joined and I thought it seemed like a great idea. I’m glad to be part of such a renowned and supportive organization. I look forward to building more connections and professional relationships through the organization, especially those working in genre films. 

Your debut feature, Alone With You, is a psychological horror that has received rave reviews for its intimate, one-room setting. What drew you to this format, and what challenges did you face when creating such a contained, high-stakes environment?

Limitations are incredible gifts. If I were told to make a film with unlimited resources, my mind would likely go blank. But if you told me, “It’s the pandemic. You’re alone with your boyfriend. You have one location. You’re the only actor. And you have a small amount of money to make a movie,” I’d figure it out. And that’s what I did.

COVID had just landed in 2020 and my partner and I were losing our minds, so we decided to put it on film. He’s an incredible DP, and we basically went mad together making this film. I’m still blown away by the reception for it. It’s the most intimate thing I could have made at the time, and I’m honored that audiences have found enjoyment and meaning in the film. 

Your work has been featured in a number of prestigious festivals like Fantastic Fest, Sitges, and Fantasia. As an Academy-recognized screenwriter and award-winning director, you’ve reached great achievements within the span of your career. What do you see as the biggest challenge or obstacle facing female directors and screenwriters in the genre space today?

Financing. As an American filmmaker, the biggest challenge for any film is financing, but especially for female directors and screenwriters. There are countless initiatives meant to support female filmmakers in all genres, but on a professional level it’s still incredibly challenging to find funding. Unlike other countries, there is little to no governmental support for American filmmakers.

But I’m hopeful. Perhaps, with recent international genre blockbusters directed by women such as The Substance, Love Lies Bleeding, Censor, and Titane, there will be more financial support for female American filmmakers to follow suit. I certainly hope so

. 

As a filmmaker who specializes in psychological horror and thrillers, what’s the most memorable moment that has personally scared you in a film—whether it’s a scene you’ve created or something you’ve seen as an audience member?

It feels way too vain to name something I’ve created, so I’ll mention two of my favorite moments in horror films. One is rather new – Hereditary. When I saw this in a cinema a few years ago, I remember staring at a wide shot of a bedroom at night, and suddenly I heard gasps throughout the audience. I couldn’t tell what was happening. I scanned the movie projection, sure I was missing something. Then I saw it. Toni Collette, crawling on the ceiling, demonic and ready to murder her son. One of the BEST horror moments I’ve ever had in the cinema. I’m always a fan of hiding horrors in plain sight. 

The other scary moment is from my childhood. Gore Verbinski’s remake of The Ring shook me to my core. The opening is masterful, and culminates in a teenage girl falling victim to a cursed VHS tape. But after the cold open, the film flashes back to a moment we never saw. A closet door opens and there, in limp, putrid glory, was the fated teenage girl. Her face was grey and distorted with white eyes. Her head flopped down, lifeless as soon as the door opened. The image was so confusing and shocking, it stayed with me my entire life. It scared me so much because I couldn’t imagine what could do that to a human being. And THAT was the horror – my imagination of what happened to her

Looking back on your journey so far, what advice would you give to aspiring female filmmakers who want to make their mark in the genre world?

Write, film and make what scares you. And be brutally honest with yourself about what actually scares you. What memory from childhood still haunts you? What room are you still afraid to go in? Does the dark still unnerve you? Tap into your actual fears. Sit with them. Be honest with them. Then tell those stories. If it scares you, it will scare others. And it will be thrilling to share that. 

Connect with Emily Bennett on Instagram at @emilyrbennett and via her blog: www.emilyreneebennett.com.

(All images courtesy of Emily Bennett)