Interview: Depravity Director Paul Tamasy Talks Twist-Filled Thriller With Victoria Justice

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke to Depravity director Paul Tamasy about the thriller movie, which is his directorial debut. Tamasy discussed his twist-filled story, working with stars Victoria Justice and Dermot Mulroney, and more. Depravity is now available to buy on digital.

“When three residents suspect their reclusive neighbor is a serial killer, they break into his apartment only to uncover a hidden fortune in stolen art. But their discovery turns into a nightmare as they’re ensnared in a sadistic game of survival, where every corner hides a new horror. Outsmart the killer or become his next victim,” says the synopsis for Depravity.

Tyler Treese: What was the genesis of this idea for Depravity? Because it has this very classic setup of “What if the neighbor’s a serial killer?” and then it just plays with that in so many ways.

Paul Tamasy: Well, my inspiration to work on this was Hitchcock’s Rear Window. I was also inspired a lot by Danny Boyle‘s Shallow Grave, if you’ve seen that film. I think just because in in America we live with this paranoia and suspicious around our neighbors, and so I knew that if I could just sort of create that suspicion around a person in a movie and build around that, that’s enough to drive a narrative for a story. But I also wanted this movie to be full of twists and turns. So a lot of what you think you expect turns out to not be what you thought it was at all.

No, totally. There were several moments in Depravity where something really big and impactful to the script would happen. I’m just like, “Where’s this going now?” Because every branch I thought the story was going down, it wasn’t. So how is it constructing a narrative that really feels like a ride for the viewer?

To be honest with you, it wasn’t easy because, because I always say to people halfway through the movie, it sort of becomes a different film. I had a lot of battles with various financiers and producers along the many years I’ve been trying to get this movie made where they’d say, “It turns into a different movie after this happens in the second half.” I would say, “That’s exactly the point of it. That’s how life is.” In a world like this where you’re populated with characters that are, most of ’em are psychotic, it’s gonna be full of those kind of surprises.

Whenever I go to movies, particularly thrillers, I wanna be surprised. As a writer, I usually can tell where a movie’s going. So I love it when I show up at a movie, and I come outta there going, “I had no idea that was gonna happen.” So, I really went out of my way to try to make that happen here, where the audience is continually surprised around every corner.

Yeah, totally. Some of my favorite films have that same type of setup where halfway through, it turns into something totally different, and it’s better for that experience.

You have a really great cast here. I wanted to ask about Dermot Mulroney first. Because he barely speaks, he says one word in the whole film, but he’s able to do so much with just his presence. How was it casting somebody that you knew could do that? That’s a tricky role, and he really nailed it.

I’m glad you asked about that. I’ve always said that the movie lives or dies by who I cast in that role. I don’t mind telling you some of the actors that have been in that role along the way because it’s a testament to why I went with Dermot. I needed an actor of that level. I’ve had everyone from Sir Ben Kingsley, Mark Hamill, and Brendan Fraser all very interested in playing this part. When it landed at Paramount, Paramount said to me, “Look, we really want you to think outside the box on this character,” and they sent me a list of people at the time. Honestly, I was originally still pushing Sir Ben Kingsley. They said, “Yeah, but take a look at this list and see if there’s anybody that sparks your interest.”

I landed on Dermot. His hair is his signature. But I thought, “Hmm, I wonder what he would look like if he lost that hair.” I knew he had the gravitas, the talent to command the screen the way I needed this character to do it. So when I met with him, he had this big, thick head of hair. He’d just come off another movie. I said, “If you do this, I want all that hair to come off.” He said, “What?” And I pointed to a guy that we could literally see outside the office. It was some guy with a military buzz cut. I said, “If you can do that, then parts yours.” He’s like, “I’m in.”

You’re right. He was great. Because it’s a character that says one word, but he still dominates the whole movie even after his death. He is a really terrific actor.

Victoria Justice, her character really kind of helps viewers get really entrenched in the narrative. Um, can you speak to working with her because, uh, she just has a great screen presence.

She’s become one of my favorite people on the planet. We have become really good friends, and she is a true talent. I think Vic should be even further along than she is right now. I think she’s gotta get those right roles. I’m hoping this kind of movie helps show people what a range she really has. She also sings in this film that song that happens halfway through the film in the montage; that’s her singing, and she’s working on her new stuff now. I’ve heard it, and it’s great stuff. She’s really talented.

But again, I wanted somebody like her that felt accessible. She really, in the movie, is the audience. She’s sort of the innocent that gets sucked into this world. So we kind of get sucked into it with her. Because she falls for Alex and, obviously, what happens to her in this story is tragic. I don’t wanna give anything away, but she’s actually my favorite character in the film just because of the rollercoaster ride that character goes on.

You definitely see there’s an allure to like a danger, and it can be very intoxicating. We see that in real life, and I like that you get a really good sense of that in the film. So how is it having that as one of the themes of Depravity? Because you showcase that a lot.

It used to be showcased even more. Early cuts to the film were longer, and you got to hear that Victoria’s character comes from a really conservative background. So I like the idea that this bad boy kind of shows up, and this girl who’s sort of been living this conservative life has suddenly got a chance to go, “Hey, I’m gonna get to go sneak into some serial killer’s apartment.”

I just felt like audiences could identify with that because one of the biggest challenges for me as a director and writer on this was to get the audience to buy that they were really gonna sneak into this guy’s apartment. Because how many people are gonna go to that length to do that? So I had to make sure I had all the elements there and the character’s belief there that we can do this and get away with it and that the audience believes they can do it.

You’ve spent a lot of time in the past as a very successful writer and as a producer. How did all that time spent on sets and working on films really help this transition as a director for Depravity?

It helped a lot. I’ve been absorbing on every film. I absorbed everything I could from every filmmaker. Look, I’ve been trying to get behind cameras since day one, to be honest with you. But I lucked out early on with Air Bud and launched that franchise. Then, after that, I started writing bigger movies, and those were movies that the budgets were so big they weren’t gonna let me step in and direct.

Then I kept playing around with, “Okay, maybe I need to go make a short to show people I can do this,” and then when this project came around. I realized if I hold onto this one because I can do it for a price, I’m someday gonna get this movie made. So this was the one script I didn’t give away like all my other ones. I was just like, I’m gonna hold onto this until I can finally make it. It has been, I think, over 20 years.

Well, I’m glad all that perseverance paid off with Depravity. You mentioned Air Bud, and you’re a legend in my books for that one. I know you’ve done more celebrated works, but Air Bud is so special to my generation. How was it watching it turn into this behemoth of a franchise with spin-offs to spin-offs? It’s crazy how many of those were made.

Part of it’s amazing to see what it’s become part of. It’s painful because I’m not reaping any benefits from it. I launched it and wrote the first two, and then after that, they took off and ran with it. Frankly, even if they came back to me and said, “We want you to write all 14 of them.” What they turned into, with talking dogs and [all that], it became something different. But I am proud that it did launch something so, so big.

We see a dog in Depravity. He doesn’t get as happy an ending. It seemed like a betrayal almost to me. I’m like, “From the Air Bud creator? Come on.”

I know. I knew people would say that. You’re never supposed to do what I did to that dog in this movie on screen. You’re never supposed to do that. But again, it felt like that kind of film. It belonged.