Mike Flanagan has praised the unsettling new indie horror film The Outwaters, which is presently in cinemas. The filmmaker is most renowned for his contributions to the horror genre, having repeatedly adapted Stephen King books such as Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and the future Dark Tower trilogy.
He co-created The Haunting of Hill House and its sequel, The Haunting of Bly Manor, for Netflix and the unconnected programs Midnight Mass and The Midnight Club.
Flanagan came to Twitter today to applaud the new independent horror flick The Outwaters.
He called the film a “jaunt right into hell,” complimenting writer-director Robbie Banfitch and the whole cast and crew. His admiration was so strong that Banfitch’s mother reacted almost immediately, stating she was honored by the compliments and that Robbie “worked so hard on it.”
Mike Flanagan Began In The Indie Horror Trenches
The Outwaters is the kind of picture that will profit enormously from the acclaim of a major horror maker such as Flanagan. The film, made for only $15,000, follows a group of people who witness weird events in the Mojave Desert and isn’t aimed at a broad audience. But box office successes such as last year’s mega-slasher Terrifier 2 and this year’s experimental excursion Skinamarink demonstrate that independent horror is experiencing a revival.
Flanagan probably knows how much expressing his affection for The Outwaters may enhance its prospects. The director’s career began in the world of indie horror. He has been directing modest independent movies since 2011. Still, his career took off with two indie projects, the first was his short film Oculus: Chapter 3 – The Man with the Plan, which was eventually transformed into the 2013 Karen Gillan horror picture Oculus.
Yet, Oculus would not have been created if Flanagan hadn’t demonstrated his horror credentials with the 2011 independent film Absentia. The $70,000 film depicts a lady investigating a tunnel related to a string of disappearances. It, like The Outwaters, demonstrated what he could achieve without breaking the bank.