A DARK FOE. PychologicalHorror/Thriller. IMDb pro-rating 7.0. A vengeful FBI agent relentlessly pursues the serial killer who murdered his mother and kidnapped his sister years earlier.
I was privileged to watch a screener of the film A DARK FOE and chat with Maria Gabriela Cardenas as well as her Dad, Oscar Cardenas, and Academy Award nominee Graham Greene. Maria and Oscar also co-wrote the intriguing and frightening screenplay.
What was the inspiration for you and your Dad to write a Psychological Horror Thriller?
Maria Gabriela Cardenas. When I was young I would dream visions of my life and I always knew I would do something with Storytelling. I gravitated to stories that take you over the edge, and I was passionate about delving into troubled characters. I find them fascinating. As I grew older I loved watching old Alfred Hitchcock films like Psycho and Rear Window, as well as the films of Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) and David Fincher(Fight Club, Seven). I am blessed that my Dad and I have a dramatic camaraderie and we wanted to create something together. Our production Company is Path of Thorns Entertainment.
I could clearly see the influence these great directors had on your vision and style of filmmaking. I also saw a flavoring of Frederico Fellini and Guillermo del Toro in your work.
Maria Gabriela Cardenas: I do enjoy Magical Realism. I like blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.
The film held very true to authentic Horror. You plunged us right into the dark and dicey underworld that is the foundation of the story, but I loved the way you revealed in Flashback mode the joyful childhood world of the young FBI agent Tony and his sister. There was an engaging play between light and dark, beauty and grotesque, real and surreal.
Maria Gabriela Cardenas: My intention was to tap into lots of different emotions to create empathy for all my characters, including the madness and selfish desire of the strong-willed Rebecca, played by Kenzie Dalton, the compassion of Selma Blair Tony’s Psychiatrist and old friend, and of course the cruel tenderness the protagonist Graham Greene (The Cradle) had for his child and even his victims. I really wanted to humanize him.
You really took full advantage of all the senses to stimulate the fear and anxiety aspect. I also enjoyed the strong visuals and seamless scene transitions.
Maria Gabriela Cardenas: I have to thank my Cinematographer Jon Aguirresarobe for his tireless effort to go the extra mile, and my Composer Tim Jones.
Yes, the music, special visual effects, and sound effects really immersed me deeper into the film, as well as the strong plot twists . Well done!
Maria Gabriela Cardenas: Thank you.
How long did the shoot take and how did you prepare?
Maria Gabriela Cardenas: It was scheduled as a 28-day shoot. I was determined to stay on budget and on time. I had everything that I wanted written out scene by scene. Of course, there are problems and some things don’t work exactly as planned, but being prepared is key and I always felt confident moving forward. I knew what I wanted to express and the actors and crew added their own magic. I was very fortunate I had such a supporting cast and crew.
Thank you for sharing with us Maria!
So, HORROR and PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FANS, if you’re ready to stimulate your fight or flight reflexes, get your adrenaline, dopamine, and cortisol natural rush, face your worst fears, be appalled, shocked, and horrified, then don’t miss A DARK FOE. In Select Theaters and On Demand July 30. TODAY!
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