Director’s Statement
I've always been afraid of deep water. Whether it's the Florida coast or a large lake, I always feel uneasy. I remember tubing on a lake in Minnesota; whenever I fell in, I'd be low-key terrified until the boat came back to get me. This fear, known as thalassophobia, inspired many scenes in the film. It's a common fear, yet it hasn't been fully explored in cinema.
I was initially drawn to the film because I found it intriguing to tell the story of an alien invasion from the perspective of an isolated group, detached from society. What would it be like for these people to slowly uncover, through minimal clues, that human civilisation is collapsing?
Amidst the horror and mystery, the film aims to shed light on the damage to our oceans. The crew is faced with what appears to be the consequences of harmful commercial fishing practices.
Ultimately, I hope this film can serve as mainstream entertainment while also raising awareness about the damage we have inflicted on our planet.
- Max Ward
TONE
They Came From Below is a claustrophobic horror/thriller in the style of films like Signs, Jaws, Alien and The Thing.
We want the film to be visceral and immersive. Audiences will be able to taste the salt in the sea air, feel the grit under their nails, and smell the rawness of blood and guts.
It uses the unknown, the unseen, and the uncontrollable to generate tension and fear, using both the environment and the psychological state of their characters to enhance the horror and suspense.
All of this feeds into an underlying sense of impending dread and suspense that refuses to boil over until the film’s climax.
They Came From Below will have a visual style that’s textured and gritty, reflecting the rugged, weather-beaten lives of fishermen. We’re aiming to capture every grimy detail—think fish scales on the deck, sweat glistening on the actors, and dirt-streaked windows, immersing the audience in the rawness of the setting.
We’ll shoot on digital for practicality but emulate the look of 35mm film with techniques like grain, halation, gate weave, and a custom colour process designed specifically for this project. This approach allows us to achieve a timeless, cinematic quality that enhances the film's atmosphere.
The camerawork will be deliberate and steady, favouring tripod and tracking shots over handheld movements. This methodical approach amplifies the tension, drawing the audience into the characters' world.
For daytime scenes, we’ll use harsh, hot daylight to create high-contrast lighting that accentuates the grit and tension of the crew’s environment. Hard shadows will define the actors, while maintaining detail on the darker side of their skin, reflecting the intensity of the sun as the pressure mounts.
Underwater, we’ll emphasise the darkness and mystery of the deep. The visuals will mimic the limited human vision below the surface, gradually fading to pitch black as we move toward the sea floor. This approach heightens the sense of isolation and the lurking unknown.
visual style
These mysterious beings from the depths will resemble a humanoid shape but consist of textures and appendages found in octopi and deep-sea creatures. Tentacles writhe from their face and torso. Two larger tentacles act as arms and lead to slender hands.
Taking after the abilities of octopi, they are invertebrates that can camouflage. Their lack of bones allows them to compress their bodies to squeeze through holes a tenth of their size. With their camouflage, neither the crew nor the audience will ever be able to relax, knowing they could be hidden anywhere…
While the crew has many encounters with the creatures, they never clearly see them in their entirety until the end. We’ll hear them, see them in vague reflections, and catch quick glimpses in the dark - taking a similar approach to Signs. We want to lean into the mystery these creatures bring and let the audience imagine their appearance. We believe what we don’t see is more powerful than what we do see.
With each encounter becoming more and more dangerous, it culminates in a showdown that will have Marsh facing off against the biggest of them all.
Below are rough AI concepts:
