In the past two months, there have been a number of wide-release horror films, all focused on an American overseas encountering a supernatural entity of some kind (almost always a ghost). InThe Forest– it was Natalie Dormer in Japan versus a ghost; inThe Boy– it was Lauren Cohan in Britain versus a ‘ghost’; and in this week’sThe Other Side of the Door, it’sSarah Wayne Calliesin India versus, well, a ghost. Setting the standard ‘woman terrorized by an angry spirit’ in a foreign locale adds flavor to the well-worn genre both in setting and theme. Aesthetically – the locale of an Indian tomb or a Victorian haunted house or Japanese woodland presents something far more colorful than the typical cabin in a woods/suburban home/backwoods forest. Thematically – the fish out of water element (American in foreign land) mirrors the displacement of a ghost in the natural world.
InThe Other Side of the Door, Sarah Wayne Callies andJeremy Sistostar as Maria & Michael, expats raising a family in India. After a horrific accident claims the life of her youngest son, Maria, clouded in depression, seeks out an ancient temple with the power to communicate to the recently departed. The catch – you can only speak with the deceased through the temple door, but must never open the door to see your loved one. Maria naturally can’t abide by these rules, opening the door and releasing a spirit far more nefarious than an eight-year-old boy.
In the following interview with producerAlexandre Ajaand co-star Jeremy Sisto, the duo discuss which horror films served as reference forThe Other Side of the Door, their most memorable moments from shooting and how the movie changed (or not) from conception to shooting. For the full interview, watch below.
Alexandre Aja & Jeremy Sisto:
