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DEADLINE: This woodsy location is so beautiful.
Can you talk more about where you shot the film?
Theres this fourth character: the forest.
From left: Anthony B. Jenkins, Halle Berry and Percy Daggs IV in ‘Never Let Go’Lionsgate
I needed something that would be a pure nightmare material to create my vision.
DEADLINE: A lot of your horror films have women at the center.
What draws you to these strong female characters in perilous situations?
Alexandre Aja and Halley Berry behind the scenes ofNever Let GoLionsgate
Also, at the end of the day, its a human story.
When I read the script, Im not really looking [for gender].
I was really fully putting myself within that story.
And how you dont infect them with your own fear by keeping them on the rope.
The rope being, of course, that allegory of that bond between kids and parents.
It is always about the human character.
Yet somehow, the best stories that Ive read or worked on are always centering female protagonists.
And maybe some writers are just better when they write females rather than guys [laughs].
But I got really lucky to be attached to all those great stories.
DEADLINE: Were there any particular themes you kept in mind while filming?
You always have unique swivels and close-ups across your filmography, but I wondered what was different here.
AJA:I wanted to be as close as I can to those characters.
One believes everything she says, and the other starts questioning.
I wanted to be close to them.
But how do I create fear as a director?
I feel that one of the rules is to break the rule.
DEADLINE: What are your checks and balances within yourself?
How do you know, OK, this isthetake.
AJA:Its very simple.
Its an instinct thing, and you just know you have it.
AJA:I remember the first time I met with Halle.
And it was music to my ear, it was exactly what I wanted to do.
We also knew we needed to find young actors to play along and be as strong as she is.
DEADLINE: We never get to know how the world ended up the way that it did.
On top of that, we also lose Momma in the latter half of the film.
It was an end that I didnt see coming.
So, what we did was we kept that and pushed the narrative even further.
And so, we just created that so the surprise was even stronger.
At the end of the day, the movie presents itself its a post-apocalyptic movie likeA Quiet PlaceorBird Box.
The film is about the world being gone by a supernatural force that made everyone kill each other.
DEADLINE: What was the challenge of creating a film like this?
So, even if you are well-prepared, youre always on the line.
There is not a really specific moment that I felt, Oh, Im disappointed.
Its more like, Oh no, in fact, it worked.
I worked with such an amazing crew and actors.
I felt every day going back that we were all working together towards the same goal.
