Horror short THE BABY NEXT DOOR about a crying baby driving a man into drug-fueled madness

I have a horror movie for you to watch today called The Child Next Doorand in it, a baby’s crying drives a man going through a breakup into drug-fueled madness.

This short film is shared in partnership with the FilmQuest Film Festival, where we seek to showcase some of the independent genre films and shorts created by filmmakers.

We have included an interview with the director who created the short film, Alec GibbonsI hope you enjoy the short and the interview. I warn you, this one gets pretty dark.

Without spoilers, tell us what your film is about, what its characters and themes are. Is it a proof of concept or a standalone story?

A baby’s cries drive a man going through a breakup into drug-fueled madness. As ruthless ambition, repressed memory, and reckless substance abuse collide—with catastrophic consequences—this frenetic, high-octane fusion of Jay McInnerny and Edgar Allan Poe; a manic, macabre, and wittily witty modern-gothic twist on Yuppie Nightmare storytelling balances savage social satire with a sulfurous study of self-damnation and the corrosive power of guilt.

What was the inspiration for your film? How did you get the idea?

As a director I wanted to show that the scariest monster could be a human being. That only when the darkest moments of an individual’s life are revealed can you truly know that fact and the man behind the mask.

Tell us about yourself. What is your background? How long have you been a director?

I am a Rustbelt filmmaker, now in Los Angeles. I am a film junkie, an avid screenwriter and love genre films. I would like more than anything to be a feature film director. I am a young man on his second short film, thinking about some tests, features and a short film in the near future.

What drives you to work in genre cinema and tell these kinds of stories?

Genre is where the film and all of its elements (camerawork, sound design, editing, music, special effects, etc.) can really shine. Great sound design can overwhelm an audience, a wild special effects scene can make them scream, great camerawork can mesmerize them, and throwing actors into the mix can make an audience care about someone in a scenario they’ll probably never experience.

What was the part of the process of making this project that you enjoyed the most?

I really enjoy collaborating and giving everyone involved a lot of leeway to create. I think working with the actors and crew at various stages was the most fruitful part.

What are you most proud of about this film?

I’ve been to many screenings and seen audiences go speechless. I’ve seen people have to leave the theater. Many people have come up to me and told me how scary and intense the ending was and how the movie kept them on the edge of their seats. That meant more than any award, distribution opportunity, or anything else.

What is your favorite anecdote or moment from the making of the film that you would like to share?

Before a major fight moment, one actor ate a beef burrito in two minutes flat, jumped down, did a couple dozen push-ups, and then performed amazingly in the scene.

What was the most challenging moment or experience you had while making your film?

Definitely the locations. We lost our location mostly after we got there and had to do our best on the day and then fight and cling to get our money back to shoot at another office.

If so, how did your film change or diverge from its original concept during pre-production, production, and/or post-production? How did this change the way you approach future projects as a result?

Every film changes through these processes, as long as the director is willing to let the actors and crew contribute and be creative on their own. I storyboard and do shot lists of everything, but a lot of it ends there, because everyone involved contributes. There were a lot of great moments that the actors created in that moment.

Who were some of your collaborators and actors in the film? How did you start working together?

I met Ricardo (co-writer/co-producer) through the genre festival where he had the original iteration of this script. A good portion of the original crew was also involved in my first short film, One Bad Night (https://vimeo.com/alecgibbons/onebadnight)

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a director, and what would you say to new directors?

Trust your intuition and instinct. Most of the time that is the way to go. And also be very open to collaboration if you want to make a big project happen.

What are your career plans and what do you hope this film will do for your career? What kind of stories do you want to tell moving forward?

I would like to move into feature films as soon as possible and to do so I would walk through walls like the Kool Aid Man. I would like to continue telling intense, wild and maniacal stories in both the thriller and comedy genres.

What is your next project and when can we expect to see it?

I’m finishing up a sci-fi feature called “An Inconsequential Choice” with Ricardo Bravo on this project. We have some producers interested and it’s an even wilder, more intense and wilder story than this one.

Where can we find more of your work and where can interested parties contact you? Do you have a website or YouTube/Vimeo channel? Do you have any social media profiles?

Instagram: @alec.gibbons; Website: alecgibbons.com; Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/alecgibbons

Bonus Question #1: What is your all-time favorite movie?

Goodfellas

Bonus Question #2: What film most inspired you to become a filmmaker and/or had the greatest influence on your work?

Apocalypse now