The Mesmer | psychological horror a battle between bad and worse

Enter the dark, and claustrophobic world of The Mesmer, the new film by Sam Beamish, that looks at faith, vulnerability and those who would exploit the people who trust

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The Mesmer is an intriguing tale that touches on bad luck and badness. Where did the idea come from, and how did it develop?

I’ve always been fascinated by hypnotists. I remember seeing an interview with Joaquin Phoenix where he said a hypnotist helped cure his smoking addiction, and I didn’t realise how far their influence could go. Most people think of hypnotists in a stage-show context, but real hypnotism requires a big leap of faith and puts the person being hypnotised – the “hypnotee”, if you will, in a very vulnerable position.

That got me thinking: surely there must be some untrustworthy hypnotists out there, right? That became the basis of Victor Palace’s character. You have to be vulnerable to sit in front of someone and hand over control, but what if they aren’t who they claim to be? What’s stopping them from stealing from you or harming you? These are dark ideas, but they make for amazing psychological horror. We’re so used to films about demons and possession – half the horror genre is about someone else taking the wheel. But let’s say possession is possible, then someone voluntarily giving up the “car keys” to a hypnotist is the perfect target. That created an interesting battle between bad and worse.

There’s a sense of claustrophobia. How do you create that physical tightness through your filmmaking, and is that the type of tension you’re keen to explore?

I’m glad you picked up on that – means I’ve done my job! The flat we shot in was such a great location, thanks to my generous friends who let us use it. There’s a narrow hallway and just enough space to move around with the camera. We leaned heavily on close-ups (I love a close-up) and slow camera moves to make the viewer feel like a fly on the wall.

There are similarities to my previous film Into the Mine, which also dealt with claustrophobic spaces and two characters trapped underground. Part of that comes from necessity – zero-budget filmmaking encourages single locations, but I’m also really interested in how people behave one-on-one. How open are we with each other? Where does pressure in a conversation come from?

I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but I often find large groups quite challenging, so isolation and how people respond to it fascinates me. Both Victor and Giles are isolated for reasons outside their control, and exploring that dynamic was a core part of the filmmaking process.

Colour and sound seem key. Where do you get your visual and aural inspirations from, and whose work do you admire?

Colour was absolutely key. I can’t tell you how much time I spent learning to use gels and create a nighttime look. I’d never done it before and felt completely out of my depth at first. It was also my first time acting as cinematographer, and I learned a huge amount about lighting. David Bruckner, who plays Giles, put me in touch with the brilliant cinematographer Lorenzo Leverini, who generously gave me a crash course in lighting. I’m really happy with the results.

Sound was the biggest challenge. We had issues with the externally recorded audio, so I was left with only the diegetic sound captured by the camera. At first I thought we were doomed, but after a lot of learning, I got it to sound exactly how I wanted: close, natural, intense. I later discovered that some of my favourite filmmakers, like Sean Baker, often work this way too, so I’m definitely open to using that approach again if it fits the story.

Visually, I took inspiration from films like Sin City, Possessor, Beyond the Black Rainbow, and Panos Cosmatos’ work in general. I also watch a lot of low-budget films on YouTube. A filmmaker called Mridul Chhibber uses colour brilliantly to reflect emotion, and his work really inspires me.

How does The Mesmer build on or refine the themes of your filmmaking?

There were lots of ways my filmmaking grew through The Mesmer. First, I didn’t have my collaborator and friend Sol Warwick this time, so I had to trust my own instincts with storyboarding and cinematography. It was also my first time working with a crew there were only three of us, but it made things much easier than Into the Mine, which was just the two of us.

Working with David Bruckner and Kevin Millington was incredible. They’re both very experienced actors, having worked on large productions, and I learned a lot from how they approached their roles. They looked to me for direction and really committed to my vision, whereas my last film was much more collaborative in that respect.

We only had the location for two days, so I had to be incredibly organised. With Into the Mine, we had much more time freedom. Overall, the process gave me a lot more confidence, and for my next film I’m keen to explore crowdfunding and build on what I’ve learned. I also understand sound editing far better than before, which is a huge step forward.

The Mesmer will be out in the new year. Where can people see it and keep up with your work?

I’ve entered The Mesmer into some smaller film festivals and I’m hoping it gets in so I can attend and meet other filmmakers across the UK. Eventually, the film will be released on my YouTube channel, it’s looking incredibly bare at the moment, but that’s where it’ll live, so if people can subscribe to that, they’ll eventually be able to check it out.

They can also follow me on Instagram at @sambeamishfilm for updates on my filmmaking journey. I’m always up for chatting about film, particularly with Cornish filmmakers. 

Thank you, Sam!

Into the Mine

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