Film: Better Anything
Director: Jonjo Lyons
Writer: Jonjo Lyons
Starring: Abigail Hardingham, Benjamin O’Mahony
A couple dig a grave in the woods.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got a chance to ask Writer-Director Jonjo Lyons a few questions about the film ‘Better Anything‘, which has been selected to play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday, 24th January at 17:30hrs.
Q. Your film Better Anything has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect?
A. A highly emotional horror/drama with twists, blood and two fantastic lead performances.
Q. What were your inspirations when writing the script?
A. Strangely enough, I was inspired mostly by old kitchen sink dramas I’d seen as a kid, plus stage work and any single-location horror movie you can think of. They’re my favourite. Before writing Better Anything, I had written a few big ideas that I would never be able to fund as my first project.
Then it was suggested to me by another writer to keep things simple and try to write just two people having a conversation. Then, of course, because someone has to die horribly in everything I write, this script was born.
Q. Did you have any of the cast in mind for the characters when writing the script?
A. Not necessarily while writing it. I just wanted Alice and Tommy to seem as real as possible, so both characters are a mix of people I’ve come into contact with over the years. I knew from when I first saw Nina Forever in 2015 that I was going to cast Abigail Hardingham in the first thing I made. I just loved their performance in that movie so much. When I eventually reviewed the film on my YouTube channel, we followed each other on Instagram. Then, when I had the script Better Anything, I sent it over, and Abi really responded to it. Through Abi, we got a bunch of self-tapes for the Tommy character, and Benjamin O’Mahony was my immediate choice. He’s both terrifying and vulnerable in a way that perfectly suits the character.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. I just wanted everything to be as simple and as real as possible. Our DOP, Ella Broad, was able to capture that for me, and I think we have some really beautiful shots in the film. Eden Lake (2008) was a huge inspiration when it came to the colour of the movie. When Philipp Morozov came on board to do the colouring, we both immediately agreed that was the way to go. He also did an excellent job.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. For the most part, everything pretty much stayed the same, with a few lines changed here and there. The film is very much dialogue-driven, so we had to make sure the script was nailed before shooting. Executive Producer Jeremy Sheldon was a massive help with that, as was Producer Maximilian Day. I think we ended up with around 13 drafts by the end of the process.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. I have a few. The first time seeing the most important special effect of the film work on the monitor was incredible, managing to get the last shot on the last day moments before we lost light was intense, but watching one of the actors deliver a moment which I’ve always called the heart of the script was probably my favourite. We put them through a lot emotionally, and they delivered every time. Honestly, just watching the actors perform was a joy throughout. There were quite a few times I forgot to yell cut because I was just watching them as an audience member.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Our biggest issue was the rain on the first day. Luckily, not long before we shot, Max switched our days so we shot all our interior stuff during the storm. If he hadn’t caught that, we would have been in real trouble. Also, on the days we were outside, we got a lot of planes flying overhead and stopping takes short. I was very fortunate to have an amazing and hard-working crew who were very patient with me as a first-time filmmaker and made sure we got it all done. Everyone did their job to a very high standard, and if it wasn’t for them, this film wouldn’t exist.
Q. What makes Better Anything stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. It’s the emotional horror we’re tapping into that separates our story and makes it unique. While we do still have violent scenes in the film, the horror comes from the awful experiences both characters have been through and how that’s changed them as people. It’s also about the horrors of unimaginable loss and what actions that loss can allow someone to justify to themselves.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I think I just want this film to remind people to make good choices before they end up doing something they can’t take back.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. Yes, I have three short film scripts completed, and I’m currently working on two feature scripts. All of them are in the horror genre and carry a similar emotional weight to Better Anything. Well, apart from one. That’s just a gorefest.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. Just go out and make something. Even small things on your phone. Everything you make will teach you lessons and make the next thing better. And start now! Don’t wait till you’re 36.
Better Anything will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 24th January at 17:30hrs.
You can find out more about Better Anything and purchase tickets for the film here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
