There are an abundance of horror movies being released this month, a few of them being: Shudder’s Brooklyn 45 & Quicksand, Hulu’s Jagged Mind, Tubi’s Play Dead and Lionsgate Films’ The Blackening. Another title worth paying attention to is Harrow House Films’ Aged, which is being released June 15th on VOD. Written and directed by Anubys Lopez, Aged stars Morgan Boss-Maltais (Netflix’s The Sleepover), Carla Kidd (Lifetime’s #TextMeWhenYouGetHome), and Dave McClain (Maverick Entertainment’s Platinum). Lopez, who also wrote and directed Uncork’d Films’ Those Who Call, talks about the making of Aged in the below exclusive interview.
Wicked Horror: Where did you get the idea for Aged?
Anubys Lopez: The idea for Aged originated from a combination of influences and creative sparks. I’ve always been terrified of the idea of getting older and aging as a whole. Imagine how much more scary it would be if it were to happen rapidly to you and there was nothing you could do about it? That’s where the main idea came from.
Wicked Horror: How long did it take you to write the Aged script?
Anubys Lopez: The main idea of it was very old. I had the idea floating around in my head for a while before I decided to put it into a script. I would take notes here and there on my phone and then finally I put everything together. I’d say from the moment I started writing the script, to when I revised it and decided on a final draft, it took me about 5 months.
Wicked Horror: What was the most difficult scene in Aged to shoot? Why?
Anubys Lopez: The bathtub scene was the most challenging. Because there were so many things we had to get right. Like the color of the blood, viscosity, the floating flowers, the temperature of the water, etc. Plus, once the actress got in the water, we couldn’t go back. It would have taken too much work. We had to make sure her hair and makeup were okay, since she was going under the water and coming back out. We had constant checkups on that. And on top of that her holding her breath made it even more difficult on her end. We re-did some of the takes maybe 8-9 times just to have enough for what we wanted. The scene ended up getting shot two times. Once during nighttime and once during day time. Each time it took maybe 5-6 hours. It’s a very important scene so we wanted it to come out perfect and wanted to have options. At the end, we decided on the day scene. Everyone loved it.
Wicked Horror: Did anything majorly change from the script when you began filming and realized something didn’t quite work?
Anubys Lopez: Not majorly, no. But we did change some dialogue here and there and improvised a couple of scenes we felt needed to be added to the story.
Wicked Horror: Did you draw any inspiration from real life or real situations for the film?
Anubys Lopez: Yes! The bathtub scene was inspired by Elizabeth Báthory, a real-life countess who used to bathe in the blood of young women in hopes she’d never age.
Wicked Horror: What is your philosophy on jump scares in horror films?
Anubys Lopez: Jump scares have their place in horror films, 100 percent. But the philosophy behind Aged focused more on psychological horror rather than relying solely on physical frights. The intention was to create a sustained sense of unease and dread and to build tension throughout the story. Although Aged does have a few jump scares in it.
Wicked Horror: Did you watch any previous horror films to get inspiration for Aged?
Anubys Lopez: Absolutely. I watched a lot of them. Mostly A24 stuff. And I feel like it borrows a lot of elements from those films. I watch horror movies constantly and get ideas from them on how I can apply the same concepts to my stories.
Wicked Horror: You also directed the horror film Those Who Call, which was released by Uncork’d Entertainment earlier this year. What was the biggest difference between the two shoots for you, stylistically?
Anubys Lopez: Those Who Call was fun to shoot, but it was a way smaller film, budget wise. So we didn’t have the capabilities we had with Aged. It was shot mostly handheld, run and gun type of style. Aged took a lot longer to shoot and we did a lot of completely different shots, like crane shots, dolly shots, steadicam shots. We had a completely different approach with the photography on this one. Different cameras, different lenses, and completely different locations. Set design was big on Aged and completely non-existent on Those Who Call. To put it into perspective, we shot Those Who Call in about 8 days. For Aged we took 15.
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Wicked Horror: Are you personally a big horror fan? If so, what are some of your more recent favorites?
Anubys Lopez: Huge horror fan. That’s literally all I watch. Recent favorites include X, Pearl, Smile, Nope and Knock at the Cabin.
Wicked Horror: What advice would you give to other directors first starting out?
Anubys Lopez: For aspiring directors starting out, I would offer the following advice: Firstly, embrace your uniqueness and your voice. Even if others think it’s “odd”, “weird”, or they just don’t get it. Develop a distinctive style and write stories that resonate with you personally. Something out of experience, something you’d enjoy watching.
Secondly, don’t be afraid to mess up. We all mess up, and that’s alright. The goal is to not mess up as bad next time. Give yourself props, you’re trying. 99% of people aren’t.
Thirdly, learn to improvise. Improvisation is key. Things will go wrong. Always. No matter the budget. At that moment, when everything seems like it won’t work, that’s when you discover what you’re made of. Make it happen, no matter how.
Fourthly, and most importantly, surround yourself with a talented and dedicated team who share your passion and complement your strengths. Collaboration is key in bringing your vision to life. Without them, you are nothing. The filmmaking journey is filled with challenges and opportunities for growth. Embrace them, stay determined, and never stop honing your craft.
