Is this the Freddy Krueger of the new generation? We talk to Eli Roth, director of “Black Friday”

Inside the director’s mind Eli Roth, there is a special corner reserved for horror films, where “creative” murderers deploy new ways of exercising violence against their victims. Now, Roth takes his dark approach to a little-explored American holiday in his new film “Black Friday.” On this occasion, a new slasher killer emerges eager to earn a place among icons like Jason Voorhes, Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger.

“This is the Freddy Krueger of the new generations, a full-fledged Ghostface who seeks to spread terror for reasons that are well or poorly explained. What I’m looking for is for 15-year-old children to take ownership of the film and say: ‘That’s the murderer of our generation.’”, comments Eli Roth in an interview with El Comercio.

“Black Friday” takes place in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where Thanksgiving was born. There a serial killer dressed as the pilgrim John Carver (a historical figure) unleashes chaos on a local supermarket. After several murders, the narrative deviates from the typical holiday story and immerses the audience in a terrifying scenario during the chaotic Black Friday shopping.

While the season is typically filled with joy-filled holiday films, Roth has chosen to explore the dark side of Thanksgiving, not as an homage to the slashers “Black Christmas” and “Halloween,” but to inject horror into a holiday. seemingly innocent. In the best style of the director’s other films such as “Cabin Fever” and “Hostel”, he combines horror with comedy.

“I always think there is a touch of humor because they are real things, and although deaths are never a joke, I have a very peculiar sense of humor. I always want to go a little further; Even if death is brutal, I will find an element of fun because it is part of my personality.”confesses the filmmaker.

But why release a horror movie just before Christmas and at the end of Halloween? “Every holiday has its own horror movie, except Thanksgiving. “November was always the saddest month for me because there were no horror movies, only Christmas and family movies, so there was no better time.”explains Roth, who prefers to create an original film instead of continuing well-known sagas. “I like new ones, reboots when they are well done, but I don’t see them as interesting as an original concept. I always look for movies with original themes from all over the world, I like to distract myself like that”, he adds.

The origin

The film has its roots in a fake trailer featured in “Grindhouse,” Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 collaboration. “Thanksgiving” joins the list of fake trailers that have been brought to life as feature films, proving that Roth’s idea It has matured over time. “My best friend Jeff and I were dreaming up the idea of ​​having a horror killer in November, and Quentin asked me to make a fake trailer, and I said, I’ve got it: Thanksgiving. It’s the movie I always wanted to make. This is an idea I’ve had since I was 12.”mentions Roth, who waited 15 years from the release of the fake trailer to be able to release this film.

The need to continue with the project arises as part of the director’s desire from his perspective as a consumer of horror films, something that, for the filmmaker, loses validity every day due to the lack of creativity in reliving the same murderer over and over again. , murdered by another director. “Horror cinema needs new killers who do ‘things’ more creatively. We can’t keep repeating the same killers over and over again. “I think people are tired of that.”Roth emphasizes.

When addressing the topic of new killers in horror films, Roth highlights the importance of originality and the need to present fresh characters. In his own words, “I want 15-year-olds to take ownership of the movie and say, ‘That’s the killer of our generation.’“, says the filmmaker who is waiting for the results at the box office to continue with the implacable revenge of his creature.