THE MATRIARCH

Director's Statement

Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned. ‘The Matriarch’ captures a horrific night in the life of a teenage girl in rural Australia. It’s told through the eyes of Missy Taylor, a thirteen-year-old who lives with her addict mother, Annette. When Annette’s boyfriend Trent is released from prison, he takes up residency in the family home. Before long, he sets his predatory sights on Missy, forcing her to kill him in a courageous act of self-defence. However, upon seeing the body, Annette sides with her lost lover, Missy’s abuser, sparking a terrifying chain of events. ‘The Matriarch’ began as a spec trailer for the 2022 Monster Pictures Pitch Initiative, where it placed as a top 20 finalist. The competition called for horror pitches surrounding the theme ‘Mother,’ which planted the seed for the idea. Although it didn’t win, it did give me the confidence to develop the concept into a full film. For my debut feature, I was looking for a contained story I could tell on a limited budget; and I felt that this idea had both thrills and heart, which made it a logical choice. The film draws inspiration from true events such as the Johnny Stompanato homicide at the hands of fourteen-year-old Cheryl Crane, and the infamous case of Jan Broberg, who was abducted in plain sight while the family supported the perpetrator of the crime. However, despite the real-world influences, it is for the most part, an original story. While it contains poignant moments, and confronting themes such as mental health, drug abuse, domestic abuse and sexual assault, I did not want the film to feel too heavy or overwrought. It should primarily be a fun ‘popcorn horror’ that keeps audiences gripping the edge of their seats for the 82-minute runtime. This film was inspired by ‘Don’t Breathe’ and ‘Hush’ in terms of tone, style, pacing and look. The cinematography is very heightened and stylized, with a vibrant colour pallet and stark contrast throughout. Being a cat-and-mouse thriller, we opted for kinetic camera movement, employing the use of long tracking shots, as well as handheld to compliment the frenetic pace. If you take a deep dive into the film, there are plenty of other nods to both contemporary and retro horror films (including but not limited to 'Evil Dead', 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 'The Shining', 'Halloween' and 'Insidious'.) My composer, Michael Drew, was tasked with creating a big, orchestral score, reminiscent of horror films from the 90s/early 00s. This injected even more energy into the film and juxtaposed nicely with the claustrophobic setting. Michael took to the assignment like a duck in water, going so far as to live record the strings and flute sections with some of LA's most promising musicians. The result is a bone-chilling score that compliments the hair-raising soundscape. We shot this film with $40,000; a fraction of the budget of the studios. But every member of the team put their heart, soul, and passion into the production. And regardless of how it fares commercially, we feel like we’ve created not only a great horror film, but a great film in general. Kate Logan brings an unnerving performance that could propel her to become the next big horror icon, and Juliette Greenfield graces the screen with a breakout performance that not many child-actors are capable of. Andy Sparnon is the icing on the cake as the raptorial Trent, who enhances the feeling of dread in every one of his scenes. We strongly believe in our film, and we hope it gets the exposure and recognition it deserves. We look at it like our 'Evil Dead' or 'Reservoir Dogs' and we hope it provides us with a launchpad to continue to create.