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At least to me, A Hard Place
felt like a blend of folk horror and zombie movie - would you at all
agree, and some of your genre favourites?
Yeah, I can see that. We weren’t aiming for a zombie movie, but the
plant creatures definitely have that weird, twitchy movement—kinda
half-zombie, half-nightmare tree. So I get the comparison. And sure,
there’s some folk horror flavor in there—creepy locals, old secrets,
nature not playing nice. We’re not flying the folk horror flag, but we
borrow a little from the toolbox. There’s also a western undercurrent to the whole thing. It’s in the
bones—visually, tonally. Wide, sun-blasted frames, slow-burn tension,
people trying to navigate a lawless place with nothing but bad instincts
and worse luck. Like a shootout with vines. And yeah, there’s some social commentary in there too. Not the
lecture kind—but it’s present. The way people fall apart under
pressure, how quick we are to turn on each other when things go sideways.
You know, light stuff. Genre-wise, The Thing
is a huge one for me. Dawn
of the Dead, obviously. Ravenous for that weird, offbeat
vibe. And Southern Comfort—probably the biggest sleeper
influence. Not horror on paper, but that whole “you’re not welcome
here and you’re probably not getting out” energy? That’s right in
our wheelhouse. (Other) sources of inspiration when writing A
Hard Place? Yeah, a few that don’t always get mentioned.
The Descent was
definitely in there—not just for the creature elements, but for how it
builds tension through isolation and group breakdown. That feeling of
being trapped with people you might not trust? That hits hard. Straw Dogs, the original, was another one. It’s not a horror film on
paper, but it’s deeply unsettling. It shows how quickly things can
spiral when people are pushed past their limits. That kind of
tension—where violence feels inevitable—definitely fed into the
writing. Aliens was a big one too. The group dynamic, the false sense of
control, the way the threat escalates fast and no one’s really prepared
for it. There’s something about watching a team of hardened people
slowly come apart that’s always compelling to me. And beyond the genre stuff, I was pulling from real-world desperation.
I’ve known people who were barely holding it together—financially,
emotionally—and when things start to crumble, they don’t always make great choices. That kind of human volatility
is just as dangerous as anything hiding in the woods.
What can you tell us about your
co-writer Michael J. Epstein [Michael
J. Epstein interview on (re)Search my Trash], and what was your
colllaboration like?
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I actually wrote the original draft of A Hard Place years ago—back
when it was a much leaner, more stripped-down survival piece. When I
decided to dust it off and really make it, I knew it needed a bit of fresh
perspective. I thought Michael might have some good takes, and he
absolutely did. He did a full pass on the script, brought in some new flavor—added a
bit more clever, dark humor in spots, which helped balance the tone. The
Texas Chainsaw Massacre–style dinner scene? That was his idea. He leaned into the
weirdness in a fun way, and it gave the story a bit more identity. After his pass, it came back to me and I did the final polish, so the
whole thing was very collaborative but still grounded in that original
vision. I think it worked because we both came at it from different angles
but were totally on the same page tonally. He’s great at throwing
curveballs that still land inside the strike zone, if that makes sense.
Do talk about your movie's approach to horror!
For me, horror’s never just about scaring people—it’s about using
fear as a lens. Yeah, I want the audience to jump or squirm or feel that
gut-level dread, but underneath that, I’m always trying to say something
about people. How they act under pressure. What they’ll do when
survival’s on the line. Where the cracks start to show. I think horror’s one of the most honest genres when it comes to human
behavior. You strip away the polite layers fast. You get to the truth
quicker—fear does that. And that’s what interests me. The monsters are
fun, the blood’s fun, but it’s how people react that sticks with me. So even in something likeA
Hard Place, which has more of a splatter/grindhouse energy, it’s still about people making bad calls,
clashing, breaking down. The horror’s not just in what’s chasing
them—it’s in what they’re capable of when they feel trapped or
desperate. That’s what I’m always chasing. A scare that hits, but also leaves
something behind when the scene’s over. But at the end of the day, it is
entertainment and I want it to be fun. Worst thing you can do is be
boring.
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The finale of A
Hard Place is rather on the action-heavy side - so how were all of
your movie's stunt scenes actually achieved?
Duct tape and luck, mostly. We were low budget, no question—but scale
was still important to us. The action had to feel big, even if we didn’t
have the money to back it up. So we just went for it.
A lot of the stunts were done practically, in-camera, with careful
blocking and performers who were all-in. We didn’t have a huge stunt
team—just smart planning, a few crazy friends, and a lot of bruises by
the end of the day. We’d shoot fast, do a quick safety check, maybe pad
something with a couch cushion, and then send it. It was chaotic sometimes, but that chaos ended up working in our favor.
The fights feel dirty and unpredictable because, honestly, they kind of
were. But it gives the finale this raw, lived-in energy that polished
choreography doesn’t always have. It’s ugly, it’s scrappy—but it
hits. You of course also have to talk about your zombie movie-within-the-movie, and how
much fun was it to dream that one up?
That was actually a blast—and it’s not just a throwaway gag. The
opening and a few scenes sprinkled throughout are pulled from a full
existing script I wrote a while back. The idea was, if A Hard Place did
well enough, maybe we’d come back and shoot that as a full feature with
the same cast. Not sure if it’ll happen, but it’s a fun thought.
There’s definitely a full movie living in there.
I’ve always loved the idea of a false opening—especially when it
mirrors the real story thematically. You watch this over-the-top zombie
flick start to unfold, and then we kind of slam on the brakes and shift
into something more grounded, but with similar ideas underneath. It sets
the tone, but it also kind of preps the audience for the ride they’re
about to go on—even if they don’t realize it yet.
And yeah, it was fun as hell to shoot. it let us flex a different
muscle for a minute before dragging everybody into the real nightmare.
Do talk about A
Hard Place's key cast, and why exactly these people?
We had a killer cast on this one, and not just in terms of
talent—these are people I trust, and that matters a lot on a movie like
this.
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Kevin Caliber is just a solid dude all around. Talented, dependable,
and also one of our producers, which meant he had skin in the game and
brought a lot to the table behind the scenes too. Felissa Rose [Felissa
Rose interview - click here] is an
absolute ray of sunshine and wildly talented—she brings this infectious
energy that lifts the whole set. Rachel A. Bryant is one of my most treasured collaborators—always
shows up prepared, locked in, and just makes every scene better. Ashley
Undercuffler brought this perfect mix of vulnerability and grit to her
role, and like Kevin, she was also a badass producer. Jenn Stone was
someone I hadn’t worked with before, and the experience was honestly
lovely. She fit right in, delivered a fantastic performance, and just
handled the chaos like a pro. She brought something really grounded and
human to her scenes that elevated the whole dynamic. And Scott Ward…
well, Scott was there. But seriously, when you’re making a film on a tight budget, with long
12-hour days, often in the middle of nowhere, you have to surround
yourself with people you love and trust. There’s no room for ego or dead
weight. Things will go wrong. You’re constantly adjusting, solving
problems in real time. And when that happens, you want to be in the
trenches with people who’ve got your back, who you can laugh with even
when it’s a total mess. That’s the real key to surviving—and
finishing—an indie shoot.
What can you tell us about A Hard
Place's rather wonderful outdoor locations, and what was it like
filming there? And how did you find them even?
It was beautiful… and brutal. We shot in February. In Ohio. So yeah,
the scenery looks great on camera, but behind the scenes it was a constant
battle with the cold, mud, wind, horse poop—you name it. It was a tough
shoot. But it also gave the movie this real, lived-in texture that you
just don’t get on a soundstage. You feel the environment pressing in.
We found the location through our AD, and honestly, it was a
game-changer. The property owner, Pam Heintz, was an absolute godsend. She
didn’t just let us use her land—she was actively involved. Helping
out, cheering us on, problem-solving. Her enthusiasm and support were
essential to getting this movie made. I can’t imagine shooting it
anywhere else. It was a hard place to make A
Hard Place—but the location brought a
ton of production value and authenticity we couldn’t have faked.
A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
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The shoot felt like family. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it
fun—we were out there in freezing temperatures, trudging through mud,
dealing with the kind of conditions that test your patience real quick.
But no one complained. Everyone showed up, did their job, and brought
their A-game. There was this quiet, unshakable commitment across the
board, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. I try to run a set that’s focused but not stressful. We’re there to
work—no question—but we’re not curing cancer. It doesn’t need to
be miserable. I want cast and crew to feel respected, like they’re part
of something we’re all building together. If you don’t enjoy the work,
there are plenty of other jobs out there—I hear finance management is a
real blast. (No shade to anyone who loves finance management… it’s
just not for me.) At the end of the day, a set should be a place where people feel safe
to create, to take risks, to collaborate without walking on eggshells. And
onA Hard Place, even with all the chaos, that’s what it was. People
cared. They pushed through the cold and the mud because they believed in
what we were making. That’s rare, and I don’t take it for granted.
The $64-question of course, when and where will A
Hard Place be released? We drop May 27th on Apple
TV and Amazon. That’s the first wave. Then it’ll open up to
AVOD platforms like Tubi in July. After that, we’re rolling out
on DVD and Blu-ray not long after. So whether you’re into digital,
physical, or just want to stream it for free later—we’ve got you
covered. Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?
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Feeling lucky?
Want to
search
any of my partnershops yourself
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The links below
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Yeah—start with the movie: @ahardplacemovie on all the major
platforms, and the site is www.ahardplacemovie.com.
You’ll find trailers, release updates, behind-the-scenes stuff—all of
it there. And for my personal stuff, I’m @thejhorton pretty much
everywhere—Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter. On Facebook, I go by my
given name, Jason Horton. Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Yeah—The
Apex Predators Club. That’s the next one. We’re going into
production soon, and it’s wild. Think The
Most Dangerous Game meets Lost meets From
Dusk Till Dawn, but with vampires, cryptids, and a bunch of
ultra-rich psychos hunting them for sport. It’s bigger, bloodier, and
weirder in all the best ways. If A
Hard Place was the warm-up, this
one’s the main event. Keep an eye out—we’re just getting started. Thanks
for the interview!
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