“I’ve been a life-long lover of horror films including Hammer Films,” said Neil LaBute. “I’ve also been connected to the Dracula myth for some time,” he continued.
Neil LaBute started his writing career as a playwright, notably winning a prestigious Tony Award for Reasons To Be Pretty. His varied work for the big and small screen includes The Wicker Man, Van Helsing (TV series) and Nurse Jackie. Now, he returns with House Of Darkness, which pays homage to his blood-sucking influences.
“Dracula is a pliable myth that has been so rooted and solidly written that allows for so many permutations,” he continued.
The shades of the Dracula myth are apparent in House Of Darkness. “I took the idea of a date between a man and a woman and seeing what happens after Mina (Kate Bosworth) invites Hap (Justin Long) back to her house she shares with her two sisters.” The tense thriller explores the shifting power dynamics between them.
Hap has the security and control that comes with being a man
Neil LaBute. Photo by Aaron Elkhart
Hap is portrayed as the “all round nice guy,” but as the film progresses, questions arise whether he’s really everything he professes to be. The same can be asked of Mina and her weird sisters Nora (Gia Crovatin) and Lucy (Lucy Walters).
Hap has just met Mina in a bar and goes home with her in search of amorous adventures. “Although the lights flicker in her house, he stays due to the security that comes with being a man and in being in control of the situation.” Even after Mina’s equally attractive and creepy sisters emerge, Hap sees this as a possibility to expand the joys of the evening despite the red flags. “He never feels worried for himself despite how quickly things can change.”
I can leave whenever I want or use violence if you pull something over me – Hap
Neil LaBute doesn’t dictate whether Hap is a nice guy or not. He’s just playing his luck. “I give the audience an extra length of rope to decide.”
The three sisters are reminiscent of other horror tales, but once again. the screenwriter won’t reveal his true intention. “We left it very open. Are they cannibals, vampires, or witches in a coven?” There were deliberately no fangs, no reflections, or fear of sunlight that are typical tropes of the vampire genre. “That felt a little fresher to me. I referred to them as the weird sisters.”
House Of Darkness twists horror into a hookup situation. The three weird sisters ostensibly function as a single dramatic unit as they lead Hap into a false sense of expectation in this male vs female story. Much like they played with their food, they played with Hap. The outcome of the evening was far from decided or even expected.
Neil LaBute carefully drip feeds the changing power gender dynamics. Neither Hap nor the weird sisters are clearly defined as having the upper hand. This keeps the tension gently simmering, even when it subtly changes. “Hap comes with the intention of being the cat and winds up becoming the mouse.”
House Of Darkness is one of the few original screenplays that have actually been produced recently. LaBute relished this because he didn’t fall into the dictates of being a writer for hire on a film that is meant to feel like other things. “I wrote this for myself. The original screenplays that I’ve written tend to be talkier and smaller creations that ironically feel like the plays that I’ve written. They’re looser and freer. Theater and film have a very simpatico relationship and a story can land in any format.”
The Writing Process
Neil LaBute writes in several genres, but horror is one he keeps coming back to. “I enjoy writing physical and psychological terror and suspense. I would be remiss to say that I haven’t used these in a lot of projects. I always try to use humor as well.”
Aside from exploring power and male privilege, House Of Darkness explores the rules of dating. “What’s permissible and the catchphrases and consent rippling through conversations,” was something in the ether that Neil considered during his writing process. Although these ideas were milder influencers, his main focus was on the horror genre to tell his story. “I watched ‘The Shining’ again to see how Kubrick generated suspense in a movie that spends much of its time in broad daylight.” This speaks to the effective use of setting outside of the obligatory dimly-lit hallways.
Hap Jackson (Justin Long). Photo courtesy of Saban Films
He also rewatched the contained film What Happened Was… by Tom Noonan to spark ideas about the relationships in House Of Darkness. “It captured a great sense of unease between this man and woman during their date. I tried to tap into some of that feeling in the room.”
Neil LaBute isn’t too analytical when deciding what to write next. “I don’t pull from my own life as much as from my own imagination. You follow that muse and bat it around. It’s in my head for quite a while and can’t get rid of it. Then I start writing. I don’t know where it comes from and don’t question it too much.” As a practitioner, the writer moves beyond talking about it and actually doing the real work. “It’s a practical roll up your sleeves and write thing. I tend not to do a lot of storyboarding, breakdowns or outlining. I have an idea of where I’m going, but I figure out how I’m going to get there along the way.” This process retains a sense of freshness and surprise in the finished work. “I want to ensure that the audience has a similar experience as me when they’re watching something.”
Neil describes his own work as often being infused with themes of power dynamics, betrayal of a loved one and unexpected revelations of people you thought you knew actually being something else.
The writer doesn’t have a specific preference in terms of writing platform. All he knows is that he’s blossomed into a tree. He started out writing and directing plays and moved into show running TV series which involved generating multiple stories for many characters to keep the season going. He’s even dabbled in short films and musicals. “I’ve had the opportunity to get out of the same lane and try new things. I’ve tried on many different cloaks and see how they fit.” Much like Hap, Neil enjoys flirting with new artistic formats to stay creative.
“I haven’t had so much success in one lane that I can’t move out of it.”
LeBute doesn’t have a rigid attachment to story either. “I prefer the story to reveal itself to me rather than the other way around.” A story can begin with a scrap or a character. “Some of these fall by the wayside because they don’t amount to anything. Other times they whisper to me and won’t fall out of my brain, so they stay.“
