On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we’re joined by filmmaker Ferdinando Filomarino, the director of the new Netflix film, “Beckett.”
For those unaware, “Beckett” stars John David Washington and Alicia Vikander and tells the story of an American couple on vacation in Greece. After a tragic accident, John David Washington’s character, aptly named Beckett, finds himself on the run from a mysterious group that is out to kill him for an unknown reason. You know, just like thrillers do.
“Beckett” marks the English-language debut film for Italian filmmaker Filomarino, who previously released his debut, “Antonia,” in 2015. If you’re a fan of Italian filmmakers, you’re probably familiar with Filomarino’s famous collaborator, Luca Guadagnino, who not only produces Beckett but has also hired Filomarino as a 2nd unit director on films such as “A Bigger Splash,” “Call Me By Your Name,” and “Suspiria.”
The interview covers quite a bit about “Beckett,” including why the filmmaker chose to make a classic thriller in an era where we’ve seen just about every spin on the genre.
“I love these types of films. But I feel like if you make a new [thriller], there has to be a reason to make one. It’s got to have its angle,” said Filmomarino. “And I felt that one aspect of these films that is a bit overdone is how perfectly heroic and adequate some of these heroes are. Whatever situation is thrown at them, they seem to be shocked at first and in danger, but then five steps ahead, and they figure it out. And we’re just like following them through and like, ‘Oh my god, he’s so cool!’”
He added, “I like the idea of doing something closer to home, more relatable, and somewhat dramatic in a way that would feel naturalistic and grounded.”
Of course, “Beckett” was recently in the news when John David Washington talked about the survival of theaters in the era of streaming after the world premiere of the Netflix film. And when asked about the situation where Filomarino is releasing a big thriller on a streaming service when theaters are struggling, the filmmaker discussed his concerns and the reality of the world we live in.
“When I made this movie…I wasn’t thinking about [the release]. I guess I always think of cinema as a big-screen thing anyway,” he explained. “I guess even the way I shoot and the way I frame—because of the movies I grew up watching—has that big-screen, theatrical experience blood to it. That said, we live in the world we live in where there are different ways to watch movies, realistically.”
The filmmaker continued, “I think just like when TV came out, when VHS came out, it’s just different types of media to watch films. People will always love to watch films in all of the ways [possible]. I think theatrical is now suffering because of the pandemic, and it will stop suffering after the pandemic. And we’ll just have options on how to watch movies.”
You can hear us talk more about “Beckett,” the underrated skills of Boyd Holbrook, and the future of the theatrical experience in our discussion below. “Beckett” is available on Netflix now.
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