Exclusive: Director Deon Taylor Talks About Filming ‘The Intruder’ [Video]

The Intruder is about a young couple, Annie and Scott, who purchase a home that turns out to be a bit more than what they bargained for. The previous homeowner is a widowed man, played by Dennis Quaid, who leaves in their hands, a house full of secrets.

Director Deon Taylor spoke with us about casting some of the actors in the film and the respective roles they each played.

The Knockturnal: This is such a different role for Dennis than what we’re used to seeing him play. What was it like getting him fired up for all those creepy scenes?

Deon Taylor: “It was easy, you know, Dennis wanted to do the movie. And he stepped into the film and pretty much came to play. This was a situation for me, as the filmmaker, where independently I reached out to him and asked him if he could please come do my little movie. And from day one where he opted to do the movie, he called me on the phone and said, ‘hey, I just want to let you know that I’m really coming to make this movie and I wanna play.’ And I think it was something that he had internally been wanting to do for a really long time. And when you get an actor of that caliber who is excited, you know what I mean, and he’s that relented, you get The Intruder. And he is nuts. I got a chance last night to pop in there for a minute and see it on the screen and I was like, yo, this dude is crazy. And it’s funny, and it’s weird, and he’s like off balance. And then you just drop down the rabbit hole and when you drop down the rabbit hole you’re like, where are we and what just happened. And he turns.”

Sony Pictures

The Knockturnal: As a director, how do you know when a scene is working, specifically in this genre?

Deon Taylor: “Because I’m a movie fan. So I’m not a fabricated director. I love movies, so I’m watching it through the monitor. Sometimes they gotta be like, ‘Deon!’ I be like, ‘oh yeah, cut’ [laughter]. Because you know what you like. And I feel like that to me is what makes a great filmmaker. They’re not trying to be in your lane, I’m just trying to make what I like. And if you like what I like, then we got something dope. You know, so this is what I like.

The Knockturnal: Both Scott and Charlie are given second chances in this plot. How do you feel about Second chances?

Deon Taylor: “I think, you know what? I think everyone deserves a second chance, but if you’re nuts, you do not deserve a second chance.  But there’s an interesting energy between the three characters. They’re all flawed, and what happens is, [Charlie] is playing off of weaknesses. And I thought it’s a really cool egg to drop into the film. Scott was not a man’s man, and Annie needs something more from him. And [Charlie] is a man’s man. He’s filling something that she wants to have filled, and through there he’s manipulating her. And I think it’s just an interesting play in life. Sometimes you can take from a bad source, something you need, and it’s actually not good for you. And it goes too far. And ultimately, it supercharges [Scott] to become a real man. He finds himself in this journey so I think it’s really cool that way.”

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