The Writer Of American Psycho Is Directing A Horror Movie With A Stranger Things Star
Bret Easton Ellis, the writer behind the infamous novel "American Psycho," is gearing up to make his directorial debut — and he's making a horror movie. Variety broke the news about Ellis' debut — titled "Relapse" — describing the project as an "elevated horror film," a turn of phrase that always rubs me the wrong way, but sure, let's move on. Joseph Quinn, who broke out in a big way playing Eddie Munson on "Stranger Things," will star in "Relapse" as Matt Cullen, a man "who checks into rehab after witnessing a horrific death during a debauched party. Three months later, he is set to get his life back together, staying at his parent's mansion in the hills of Los Angeles. But things have changed around Matt and everything seems off balance."
The full synopsis continues: "Fueled by his unstable personality and the invading power of social media, Matt's paranoia grows, messing up with his rehabilitation program. As he starts using again, a mysterious presence starts growing around Matt, and a monster that has been haunting him since he was a teenager reveals itself. His therapist tries to help, convinced that the monster is actually in Matt's head."
A monster movie
Ellis is no stranger to the horror genre. Not only did he pen "American Psycho," but many of his books have had horror-related themes to them. He also wrote the script for the horror film "Smiley Face Killers." "I grew up watching the iconic horror movies of the 1970s," the writer said in a statement. "I've written 'Lunar Park,' a horror novel, as an homage to Stephen King. It seems appropriate that my first feature would be a horror film. There is a simplicity to 'Relapse' that seems like the perfect form for my directing debut: something direct and impactful."
He added that the film will be a "monster movie with [my] signature characters — young, handsome, rich — at the center ... It will have my strokes: sex, drugs and paranoia. It will also be a fun, lush and commercial feature film for a lot of people to enjoy."
I know Ellis is an acquired taste for some folks, but I tend to enjoy his writing, and I'm very curious to see what he does directing his first feature film. Calling "Relapse a "monster movie" certainly catches my attention. Are we going to get creature effects here? I sure hope so, and I hope they're done practically instead of with crappy-looking CGI.