Reviews of Swallowed have brought obvious comparisons to David Cronenberg. I don’t see the film as fully body horror, but I can see that the term can be useful for marketing and making it accessible. 

The term “body horror” becomes an easy way to sell the film and get it in front of people. The idea of losing control of your body is central to the genre and something that does happen in Swallowed. I love Cronenberg and Clive Barker; they were both instrumental to me as a filmmaker. There is an element of body horror here, but it’s more rational and possible. I made up the bugs, but the body packing setup is very real. I wanted to keep things real and dramatic—with the focus more on the psychological than the physical. Having said that, there’s still a seven-minute fisting scene. But even in that scene, I used close-ups to show both the ordeal and the intimacy of that moment, even if it was done at gunpoint. It was only after I shot the film that I realised it wasn’t a straight horror movie. It’s more of a sinister crime thriller. 

Looking at the bug as a queer person, I immediately think of it as an allegory for AIDS or any other STI.

Of course, same here. For me, horror and sexuality are tightly linked. But I don’t think that allegory is as much at play here. With Swallowed, I will say that for all the nudity and intimacy, there is no sex. Even the stuff in the film that feels like it should be sexy is strangely made un-sexy by the context. I was more caught up in Ben and Dom’s story. I never intended them to have sex. And Dom is supposedly straight. I was aiming for an ill-fated love, where they would never have the chance of becoming anything. It was more about unfulfilled emotions and desires. Wish fulfilment in the most fucked-up way possible.

I see correlations with Bugcrush and with all your films—apart from The Ruins—in terms of characters and setting. I noticed a particular focus on young protagonists operating within a working-class environment.

I grew up in rural Maine. I’m not from a wealthy family. Bugcrush was shot in the town where I grew up, and Swallowed was also shot in Maine. The cabin in the film is my parents’ fishing cabin in the middle of nowhere. Aesthetically, I think I’ve always liked the small-town setting and focusing on characters that don’t have their every need met. I find that a richer source for storytelling. I was never drawn to rich kids. And I never fully engage with an urban setting. Even if my film starts off there, the character always leaves for somewhere remote and desolate.

As for the young protagonists, film narratives are built around life’s turning points and your ability or inability to navigate them. When you are young, you’re in the stage of creating an idea of yourself and working out who you will end up as. That’s a particularly interesting time to drop a character into a story.

You swapped small-town America for the Mexican jungle with The Ruins, which you mentioned had major studio backing. How was the experience of making your debut with DreamWorks Pictures?

I never saw it as a real possibility—I genuinely never thought that Steven Spielberg could hire me after having only made one short film. I had been pitching it for nine months, so the idea was solidified in my mind, and I became uncompromising on it. I had this weird sense of confidence, probably because I never thought I had anything to lose. To be fair, I wasn’t 22 at the time; I was older and not as naïve. When I got the job, I had already had the experience of being on a large set from doing big-budget photoshoots, so I knew how to convey my ideas and vision clearly. What I was truly most afraid of, especially in the beginning, was working with actors. I didn’t have a clue how to get the best performance out of them. 

I do specifically remember being taken aback by Laura Ramsey’s performance in The Ruins. That scene when she cuts into her thigh has stuck with me.

Thank you! I would say casting is key. That is a huge part of it. Also, I’m not attached to the words on the page. I never try to force an actor to say a line that doesn’t work. I think with my long history as a photographer, I’ve developed a knack for making people feel comfortable in front of the camera, to take chances and let go of any hang-ups that are holding them back. 

Laura’s performance was incredible. I’m still so impressed by the horror and trauma she conveys, especially in that scene. It’s gut-wrenching. We were shooting day in, day out, and she would always bring it. She was able to tap into those very dark emotions, every single time. It was insane. The intensity was there from the very first audition in this little, sterile office-cubicle-type room.