Q&A: Writer/Director Mathieu Turi on Blending Genres and Working with Javier Botet for HOSTILE

Stranded in a car wreck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Juliette (Brittany Ashworth) has to fend off a strange creature who isn't interested in giving her a hand in Hostile. With the new horror movie out now on VOD platforms and DVD from 4Digital Media, we caught up with writer/director Mathieu Turi to discuss combining genres, the influence of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, and working with Javier Botet (IT, Insidious: The Last Key, Alien: Covenant).

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Mathieu. How and when did you first come up with the idea for Hostile?

Mathieu Turi: I previously did two short films, Sons of Chaos (2010), a post-apocalyptic/action/creature short which received official selection in multiple film festivals around the world and officially competed at Sitges in 2011. The second film, Broken (2012), is a love story/drama set in an elevator. So, in a way, Hostile is a mix of the two short films. I really wanted to have a 50/50 mutant movie with a love story, two genres, and two timelines entwined. So, even if it was risky, I tried to keep it that way from the script to the final movie.

Where did filming take place for Hostile, and what did that environment add to the aesthetics and atmosphere of your film?

Mathieu Turi: We shot in three countries: Ouarzazate (Morocco) for all the post-apocalyptic sets, New York for the flashbacks, and a few scenes in Paris for some interior sets. I really wanted to shoot in a real desert, not in a studio, even for the nights, so every shot of the movie was done on location. The desert in Morocco is very creepy at night, and the horizontality and emptiness of it was crucial to the story. On the opposite side, I wanted to have a very crowded and vertical city for the flashbacks, so naturally, New York City was the perfect location. Again, the idea was to mix opposite ideas. That's what we did in the locations, but also in the light, camera movements, etc.

What was it like working with Brittany Ashworth, who plays Juliette in the movie?

Mathieu Turi: With Brittany, we were very focused on giving Juliette a complete backstory, told through the flashbacks, but also exploring her "in between story," the events in the character’s life that are not told on screen. It was very important for her to know exactly what she did before and during the apocalypse, and why. We worked on that a lot, to give the character more credibility. Then, during the shoot, she could use that to find the right intention. She also trained with a special coach to learn how to use a gun, a knife, and how to fight, etc., because this is something you need to do when you want to be faithful to a character who becomes someone else after an apocalypse.

What was the most challenging or rewarding scene to shoot?

Mathieu Turi: The most challenging was not one scene but rather all the scenes shot during night shoots. We shot for nine nights in a row with just a one-day break. I'm talking about nights in the desert; very cold, windy, and desolate. It was challenging, but the crew was amazing, and they were persistent! They fought till sunrise every day. The most rewarding scene has to be the one inside the camper-van. That really long, circular shot during the fight is my favorite and I really really wanted it that way from the script. It was full of special effects, like bullets cutting through the trailer, gunshots, cracking windows, a blood machine, etc. The choreography of it was intense. We only did two takes. I'm very happy about how it turned out.

Looking back at your time on set, is there a favorite or funny moment that stands out?

Mathieu Turi: I would say the first time Javier Botet came on set in full makeup. It was insane to see how creepy and beautiful it was. When you design and imagine a monster, and then have the chance to have Javier Botet play the part, when he's on set, it becomes real—like a dream came to life. Everybody on set was speechless. And when we shot the end of the movie, with that special light time called "Magic Hour" during sunset, it was, indeed, magical.

Do you have any favorite movies, video games, or books that influenced or inspired you while making Hostile?

Mathieu Turi: I had three major inspirations for the movie. The first one is the Richard Matheson masterpiece I Am Legend. It's my favorite book EVER. I also read The Road [by Cormac McCarthy] again and again, for the loneliness and cruelty of the apocalypse. And finally, I would say the video game The Last of Us, which was always in my mind during the entire process. It really is, to me, the Citizen Kane of video games. What Neil Druckmann and his team at Naughty Dogs did is a milestone, not only in the industry, but in storytelling. I can't wait to experience The Last of Us Part II.

Is this a cinematic world you would return to in a potential sequel?

Mathieu Turi: Oh man, that would be fantastic! I don't think it will happen, but you never know. I have several ideas for it, to stay different and original, so I'm ready!

What do you hope viewers take away from your latest film? 

Mathieu Turi: Just the fact that it's different. We tried to keep it that way from the start, to tell a story mixing two genres and to send a simple message: love who you are, enjoy life as it is, and fight for it.

With Hostile coming out on home media beginning September 4th, what other projects do you have on deck that you’re excited to work on?

Mathieu Turi: I'm currently in prep for my next movie, Meander, the story of a woman stuck in a strange and deadly tube full of traps. It's a sci-fi high-concept movie I’ve been dreaming about doing, so I'm very happy. It will star Bérénice Marlohe (Skyfall) and we will shoot this winter in studio. It's very different from Hostile, but I'll try, again, to do something different with it. I can't wait to show you what we are working on right now! See you next year!