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 weโre used to seeing him play. What was it like getting him fired up for all those creepy scenes?
Deon Taylor: โIt 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, โhey, I just want to let you know that Iโm really coming to make this movie and I wanna play.โ 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 heโs 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 itโs funny, and itโs weird, and heโs like off balance. And then you just drop down the rabbit hole and when you drop down the rabbit hole youโre 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 Iโm a movie fan. So Iโm not a fabricated director. I love movies, so Iโm watching it through the monitor. Sometimes they gotta be like, โDeon!โ I be like, โoh yeah, cut’ [laughter]. Because you know what you like. And I feel like that to me is what makes a great filmmaker. Theyโre not trying to be in your lane, Iโm 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: โI think, you know what? I think everyone deserves a second chance, but if youโre nuts, you do not deserve a second chance.ย But thereโs an interesting energy between the three characters. Theyโre all flawed, and what happens is, [Charlie] is playing off of weaknesses. And I thought itโs a really cool egg to drop into the film. Scott was not a manโs man, and Annie needs something more from him. And [Charlie] is a manโs man. Heโs filling something that she wants to have filled, and through there heโs manipulating her. And I think itโs just an interesting play in life. Sometimes you can take from a bad source, something you need, and itโs 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 itโs really cool that way.”
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