Cobweb Director Samuel Bodin On Thriller & Breaking Into American Film

Posted in: Exclusive, Horror, Interview, Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: Antony Starr, Cleopatra Coleman, Cobweb, exclusive, interview, lionsgate, lizzy caplan, Samuel Bodin, Woody Norman

Director Samuel Bodin (Marianne) talks to Bleeding Cool about his American film debut in the Lionsgate horror thriller Cobweb.

French director Samuel Bodin is always looking for new challenges and what better way to introduce himself to American audiences than his latest thriller in Lionsgate’s Cobweb which features two acting powerhouses in Lizzy Caplan (Fatal Attraction) and Antony Starr (The Boys). After garnering critical acclaim for his work in the TV series Lazy Company and T.A.N.K, he struck more mainstream success with his work on the Netflix French horror series Marianne. Cobweb follows eight-year-old Peter (Woody Norman), who is plagued by a mysterious, constant tap, tap from inside his bedroom wall – a tapping that his parents insist is all in his imagination. As Peter’s fear intensifies, he believes that his parents (Caplan & Starr) could be hiding a terrible, dangerous secret and question their trust. And for a child, what could be more frightening than that? Bodin spoke to Bleeding Cool about setting production in the middle of the COVID pandemic, trying to overcome language barriers, and his influences as a filmmaker.

Weaving the Intricate Thriller of Cobweb

BC: What intrigued you about Cobweb?

Bodin: I loved [Chris Thomas Devlin’s] script, which was both simple and twisted at the same time. It’s so difficult to write a scary story. It was the case with Cobweb, and I also loved the tone, which was not too grounded. The script has its own tone and that spoke to me in a way I wanted to say, “I want to create that little universe and this weird story.” I want to do that so it was this script.

Can you break down the casting was getting Lizzy, Antony, and Woody, and how it came together?

It was my first feature film, my first project in English, and it was in the middle of COVID. We did the casting process over Zoom. Even at the first rehearsal, we were on Zoom, so it was a weird process. We wanted to find actors that could be available and become dangerous in a glimpse. Lizzy and Antony can do that so well it was nearly done for us. I was lucky and happy to work with them. When we started doing research and the calibration process, we worked sequence by sequence and drew our path. I must be scary as they trust me [over] there. I must change or have precise mechanics we breathed all together. Woody, in the middle of that, was asked to act as natural and in the present as he can. In our eyes, it’s a real confrontation in a way. I don’t know if that helps answer your question. I do what I can.

What was the most difficult aspect of the film? You said it was your first English language film, did you have any problems with communication or did it feel like your other projects?

It was a challenge for me, to be honest. Communication is the most important thing on the set when you want to tell a story. I felt like I was trapped in a five-year-old kid’s body. I couldn’t express myself with all the nuance I wanted. It was complicated with the mask. Woody was nine at the time, and he was so gentle with me, because he was always conflicted. I’m like, “You know what I say?” “Okay, I understand you.” It was a challenge, but now, you create your space for work. When you have that, you can go wild quickly. Because I’m not scared to my mind my work and I did a lot of sound on that. I moved everywhere. I found another way to express myself, but it was a challenge for me, but it got easier day by day, as you can imagine.

What were some of your biggest influences as a filmmaker?

That it is a complicated question [laughs], maybe it would be some cliche and say, “scary stories.” John Carpenter is the first big one for me. His movies are like a book I open every month. I love the way he tells the story is a powerful thing. I resonate with his directing style each time I want to tell a story. Another is Sergio Leone in another genre, but I love how he uses body language, space, and time. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is another one of my favorites in another way. All three form something in my head. I say, “Okay, I want to try.” After that, I fell in love with Sam Raimi. Another who’s influenced me is Stanley Kubrick. When you see Cobweb, you can’t miss the influence from Stanley Kubrick’s classic ‘The Shining,’ which is a movie I see every three months [laughs]. It is part of my skin.

Cobweb, which also stars Cleopatra Coleman, is currently in theaters.

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