Director Sébastien Vaniček used a unique approach to scare audiences watching his French horror movie ‘Infested’ – using 200 real spiders in his horror as opposed to relying on CGI to scare viewers.
“You have to understand why you’re afraid of spiders,” Vaniček said, according to The Daily Beast’s Obsessed. “And as soon as you understand that, there is no reason to be afraid.”
The film has generated so much buzz ahead of it’s premier on the horror streaming platform Shudder last week, including it’s wild success on the 2023 Venice Film Festival scene, that it could end up being one of 2024’s hidden horror gems.
“They are able to shoot for 10 seconds, and then after that they are tired, and you can’t have anything from them,” Vaniček said of utilizing the spiders in the film making process.
“You have to understand them, and understand that they are really fragile creatures. They are always afraid and they want to hide. When they are on the floor, they will run and they will seek a place in the shadow. They are able to run for about 10 seconds, and after just 10 seconds they are completely tired. You can put them on the wall and let them stay, and I can film them because I know they won’t move.”
Vaniček also explained “scouting” for the creatures to use in the film.
“I wanted a spider that you kind of recognize because you know this type of spider, everybody has one of these in their shower one day,” Vaniček said. “But I made them bigger. And with big legs like this you can understand that they will run really fast.”
According to the official synopsis: “On the brink of 30, Kaleb faces unparalleled loneliness, estranged from his sister and best friend over an inheritance dispute. His fascination with exotic creatures leads him to a venomous discovery — a spider that soon turns his flat into a terrifying webbed prison.”
The film, which debuted on April 26th, stars Théo Christine, Finnegan Oldfield, Jérôme Niel, Sofia Lesaffre, and Lisa Nyarko.
Check out the official trailer below:
