An Interview with Eric Shapiro, Director of Intrusive

by Mike Haberfelner

January 2026

Films directed by Eric Shapiro on (re)Search my Trash

Your new movie Intrusive - in a few words, what's it about?

Intrusive is a demonic possession story about a woman named Sabina who has another woman inside her head talking to her, so she goes to a hypnotherapist named Kelly in search of help.

You've written Intrusive based on a story by the film's producer James White - now how did that come about, how close did you stick to his story, and what was the collaboration between the two of you like?

I’ve been working with Jimmy now for years. He’s the most intuitive and emotional person. He knew I’d set up a little studio here in the San Francisco Bay Area and had started making movies, and he was game to produce one. I suggested certain limits as to the cast size and the amount of locations, and he hatched this vivid storyline (that I can’t give away without giving away the end of the movie). I loved it but asked him if he was open to making it supernatural. It was an easy yes for him. We’ve co-written a bunch of screenplays over the years, and this was the first one to get made. Jimmy made it happen. Our collaboration is fun and easy; we bat the material back and forth until we’re both 110% excited about it. It’s also strange insofar as we each tend to intuit what the other is thinking; we’ll always be a step ahead of each other in terms of our ideas and concerns. It’s a beautiful collaboration.

(Other) sources of inspiration when writing Intrusive?

You know, the strange thing about me is that I’m most known for doing horror, but I’ve seldom done the genre “properly”. My books The Devoted and Red Dennis are dark thrillers. My book It's Only Temporary is apocalyptic horror, which is its own thing. And my early feature film Rule of Three is also a dark thriller, so my work gets indexed under horror for going dark, but the story elements are usually more thriller-like. With Intrusive, I wanted that specific emotion of the uncanny – that creep-out factor that tips the needle into true horror. It had been a goal of mine since I was a kid. So I drew from the champion examples: The Exorcist and The Shining. Rosemary's Baby is in there, too. And Intrusive is like the baby of those other films, but it’s also got its own angle on possession that Jimmy and I hadn’t seen before. Without giving too much away: the rules are reversed. It’s not just about casting the demon out. The demon WANTS to get out ‘cause she has work to do in her natural state.

Do talk about Intrusive's approach to horror - and is that a genre at all dear to you?

I’m in awe of horror because that freakout emotion is so hard to capture. To me it’s the white whale of emotions. Each genre is really just an emotion dressed up in aesthetic tropes: Comedies are humor, fantasies and xci-fi are awe and wonder, horror is fear. But there are different kinds of fear. I usually gravitate toward generating tension and suspense, which is more akin to anxiety. Actual fear, like your mind is melting, is a tougher tier to access. As a kid, I’d see horror movies and be shocked that they could work on me that way (I still am).

A few words about your directorial approach to your story at hand?

It was all about visual stillness. That divides audiences. It even drives me crazy at times. People who know me know I’m impatient and I move fast, but I don’t always express my temperament on film with speed and motion (I do in my upcoming film Horrorbuku, co-directed with Tony Arjuna [Tony Arjuna interview - click here]). Sometimes I show it by suppressing it, so the stillness and slowness feel to me like they’re squirming and bursting. Some people find it hypnotic and others just tap out and get bored. But team hypnotic gets drawn into the depth of what’s there. I can’t always do it that way, though, as it takes immense restraint; it’s like a silent scream filling up your throat.

You also appear in front of the camera in Intrusive - so what can you tell us about your character, what did you draw upon to bring him to life, and have you written him with yourself in mind from the get-go?

I did have myself in mind. My character’s name is Dr. Kleinbaum; I took his last name from a guy I grew up with. I wasn’t sure about how I’d play him till right before we rolled the camera. I was ready to speak in my own voice, or as an alternative go with a kind of snobby New England accent. Right before we started shooting, I asked my lead actor Rich (Richard Caines, who plays Paul) which was better. He said, “the accent.” So I did it; it was spontaneous. I didn’t think about it too much and thought it would be a little pit stop in the story, but it’s a scene a lot of people react to. The author Greg F. Gifune, who’s a horror master, said the movie’s really creepy but he kept singling out that scene as deeply upsetting. That makes sense since, frankly, I’m terrified of doctors. They represent a state of authoritarianism to me. And Dr. Kleinbaum is nothing if not controlling.

Do talk about the rest of your cast, and why exactly these people?

I had the best cast. Sherill Quinn is in the lead role; she plays Kelly the hypnotherapist. She has a small role in my other movie Horrorbuku, and when friends were watching the rough cut of that one, they kept saying she was great even though she’s only in it for 60 seconds. I made a mental note to come back to her with another offer when I had something bigger. She always books acting roles in the Bay Area; she’s worked with everyone here; she’s immensely castable and can shut out the competition. And she shows up crazily prepared; there’s no blown takes or unnecessary chatter. And her versatility is endless; people probably think each character she plays is what she’s actually like, but it’s not even close.

My wife, Rhoda Jordan Shapiro, was Jimmy’s idea, as he loved her performance in my movie Living Things. He suggested her initially for the hypnotherapist but we’d seen Rhoda do that before: the sort of calm, guiding healer figure. So I asked him if she could be the patient, Sabina, and he said yes. But it’s not easy to get Rhoda! I keep pulling her out of retirement. She’s an excellent actress but it’s not her first love anymore; she’s been away other places.

Richard Caines, who plays Paul, is my best friend; we go back to college. He and I have made so many films together, student and pro, that I’ve lost count. So I got to make a movie with my wife and my best friend. I’d never had Caines in a feature before; it had always been shorts or pilots or things like that. He brings major spontaneity and freshness; he’s a classic leading man. And he’s always slowing down the process and searching for truthful moments; he doesn’t let opportunities slide.

Tricia Brooks comes later in the story, as Denise. I feel people don’t give her enough credit because she appears well after the proceedings have gone fully bonkers, but she’s fantastic. Her character wasn’t really written to be funny, but Tricia showed up and made her funny. Tricia and Sherill both wrote backstories for their characters, too, which I never saw. There was a huge commitment from the entire cast.

A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?

I’m like Clint Eastwood. I can’t stand chatting. We just do it. I knock it out. The actors get 2-4 takes at most. There’s no fuss or indecisiveness. And I want that speed and confidence to be imprinted in the final film. If your script and your story structure are sound (which they will be when you have Jimmy in your corner), you have the luxury of showing up and documenting what’s there. Plus, I’m all about getting the emotions out. The more you chat, plan, ruminate, and overthink, the more stuffy and constipated that emotional field will be. You have to override your own thoughts and go from the pit of your stomach.

Anything you can tell us about audience and critical reception of Intrusive?

I was doing an informal Tomatometer reading yesterday, and as far as reviewers go, we’re at about 80% approval. The word I keep hearing throughout the life of the film’s rollout is “creepy”. But a few people hate it; it tests their patience too much; they see the spareness as thinness and the minimalism as slightness. The film has a very specific personality. Most of my movies are like dogs – they’re excited, direct, they jump up and say hello. This one’s a cat.

Any future projects you'd like to share?

I’m wading into another production with Jimmy White called The Plumber, which I couldn’t be more excited about. And Horrorbuku is set to start streaming soon on Kings of Horror. And there’s also my screenplay about “Macho Man” Randy Savage, which I was blessed to see Kenan Thompson’s company Artists for Artists pick up last year. I can’t say too much about what they’re doing with it, but there are top-level people involved.

Eric in Horrorbuku

What got you into filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?

I’ve been doing it since I was 12, when my dad got us a camcorder. Then I studied it formally at Emerson College; I majored in Film at first, but switched to Writing for the immediacy. I’ve taken great classes, but there’s no better training in the world than just going out and doing it.

What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to Intrusive?

It’s my third feature film to date. They keep getting shorter! Rule of Three’s around 85 minutes. Living Things is 75. Intrusive is 66. Oddly, I had read about a Shudder release before shooting Intrusive that was 66 minutes long, and as of that moment I started fantasizing about making a movie of that exact length. But it wasn’t super calculated; judging from the script, it should have been closer to 75 or 80; it just came out that way. All three films have minimal locations and small casts and are built on tension and character. They paint this picture of me as a wannabe playwright of some kind, but the truth is, if I have the money, I just go and do what I can. Horrorbuku breaks out of the box, though; it operates on a larger scale.

How would you describe yourself as a director?

On the inside, I’m brimming with passion and uncontainable excitement. On the outside, I think I’m easy to deal with and I keep it simple. The actors and other collaborators get to bring their ideas and have the freedom to be open and creative.

Filmmakers who inspire you?

It’s all about Scorsese; he’s the one I’m always thinking about, in my nerve endings. His love for the medium is so absolute that at this point he’s more or less merged with it. You can feel that deep relish and hunger for every shot and cut.

Your favourite movies?

It depends which day you catch me on. Gus van Sant’s Elephant is probably number one; that movie gives me a panic attack. From this century, I also love Martyrs and Enter the Void. Growing up, it was The Godfather and Goodfellas.And I can never get enough of Amadeus.

... and of course, films you really deplore?

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Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?

I’ve been trimming away at the socials but I’m still on Facebook.

Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?

There’s more coming. I’m working on cool screenplays for top-tier producers. And my studio’s open for business.

Thanks for the interview!

© by Mike Haberfelner

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