Expansive, immersive ambitious and indie | Ben Wheatley talks Bulk

Ben Wheatley’s Bulk: an “out there” piece of DIY cinema which will be as entertaining as it is inspiring for all independent filmmakers

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MkqNbWsbvk[/embedyt]

Ben Wheatley (A Field in England, Free Fire, In The Earth) brings his new film Bulk to Exeter Phoenix on Sunday 1 February, followed by a Q&A with the acclaimed director. Ben kindly took some time midway through Bulk’s UK tour to describe the process of writing and directing his low-budget sci-fi feature, and what Exeter audiences can look forward to on his newest outing.

Bulk marks a return to a solo writing credit for Ben Wheatley. When he first wrote and directed on his own (2018’s Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, the first he wrote without any co-writer), he described it as a “scary” experience. However, now that Bulk returns him to the writer/director credit, he described the upsides to such a process.

Flexible

“It’s good because it means you can be more flexible on the day. You can change stuff that’s not working. You can try and fix it in a way that you can’t if it’s a studio film with hierarchies you have to talk to before making changes,” Ben tells D&CFilm.

Multiversal sci-fi

The independent status of Bulk may come as a surprise when learning that the film is an effect-heavy multiversal sci-fi. Bulk is, however, markedly distinct from multiversal stories that mainstream audiences may have become accustomed to recently, such as big-budget superhero flicks or even the Best Picture-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once. Bulk is instead a style-driven, low-budget project which wears its influences and fingerprints on its sleeve.

Ambitious and indie

Embarking on such an ambitious story independently, Ben described how writing with a knowledge of the budget doesn’t conflict with developing a story with multiversal scope. “If you’re writing and you know what the budget is, then you’ll back into it. You won’t write things you know you aren’t going to be able to shoot,” says Ben. “We always knew what we would be able to achieve with the money, and that would affect how I wrote the script. For making Bulk, the storytelling from script to screen go hand-in-hand, rather than separated out as you would do in a traditional film.”

Expansive and immersive

Bulk then serves as a demonstration that big budgets aren’t necessary to take stories in expansive and immersive directions, and promises to be a valuable example to filmmakers who operate without massive funding. The film features numerous classic filmmaking techniques to take us on this journey, from rear projection to model work, and more.

No compromise

“Bulk is about effects work. The effects are the story. It’s written specifically into the script what the effects are. I’m always thinking about how to make it. It’s not separated out. Everything’s done at the same time, so you don’t have to end up compromising stuff. You want to be in a position of approaching the film to make it without already having to think of other ways to achieve it.”

Writing the script with knowledge of how it will be shot not only makes the shooting of the film easier, but also aids the filmmaking process on the backend when it comes to editing. “You know how it’s going to be cut at the beginning. What you deal with in the edit is what the performances are like, and whether the performances can carry the script or the script is carried by the performances.”

Impressive performances

Bulk stars Sam Riley, Alexandra Maria Lara, Noah Taylor and Mark Monero; all returning collaborators from Ben Wheatley’s prior films. Ben described how impressed he was with the performances of his whole cast; the film was written with these specific actors in mind. Aiding in this endeavour, he shared the insight that they had done a pre-recording of the script first, akin to a radio play, so they knew what was required to bring the characters in the multiversal narrative to life.

Different from the mainstream

When asked what Exeter Phoenix audiences bring to the screening of his newest feature, Ben simply states that the most important thing as an audience member is being there. “Turning up to watch something that’s different from the mainstream is good enough. It shows an open mind. You’re just grateful that they came in the first place, without wanting to put anything on them.”

Screening and Q&A

The Exeter Phoenix will screen Ben Wheatley’s new film Bulk on Sunday 1 of February at 2.30pm, and it’s the furthest South West screening of Bulk’s UK tour. The afternoon will consist of the 90-minute runtime of the feature followed by a Q&A with the writer/director himself, providing a valuable opportunity to pick the mind of a top filmmaker.

Bulk promises to be a riveting jaunt of independent filmmaking; an inspiration to aspiring filmmakers who are familiar with low-budget projects which aim to leave an impact on their audiences.