The Requin is Le-Van Kiet’s newest thriller with a killer shark on the hunt for Jaelyn (Alicia Silverstone) and Kyle (James Tupper) as the couple struggle to stay alive while stranded at sea. The upcoming release leans into classic horror tropes building the tension and teasing the dangers of the ocean and the inevitable shark that will be hunting the married couple.
THE REQUIN DIRECTOR REVEALS HOW JAMES WAN’S HAUNTED HOUSE STYLE HORROR MOVIES INSPIRED THE REQUIN
The Illuminerdi had the chance to speak with The Requin’s writer/director Le-Van Kiet about what inspired these horror elements in the new film.
“I watched a lot of James Wan movies and it came about. These scenes were constructed based on how you would see a empty hallway in the middle of the night. And how that comes about is that you would let them feel that there’s something there. There’s that classic “the little girl in the middle of the night who comes out and you hear the creaking door,” right? You hear the cracking wood floors echoing and it’s vacant and it’s dark.
So, a lot of that I built into this. So, I saw these horror elements. And it’s fun, the buildup is fun. That’s what I’m really trying to go for. That there’s this build up, there’s this tension building. Then you do give them that sting or that kind of horror scare. And then you tell them that look that was all worth it because in the end it’s fun. Because we weren’t going for the bloody, kind of like the gore that the splatter generation did ten years ago, a decade ago. I think that’s what I was going for, a classic haunted house type of feel.”
RELATED: NEW TRAILER FOR THE REQUIN FEATURES ALICIA SILVERSTONE FIGHTING A GIANT SHARK!
James Wan is one of the modern masters of horror pioneering The Conjuring, Saw, and Insidious franchises. His mastery of horror leans into many different subgenres including the more suspense filled haunted house style. The fact that Kiet was inspired by Wan’s horror specifically the haunted house style often used in The Conjuring franchise is interesting given the traditionally survival thriller genre of shark movies. The use of these classic horror tropes in a more thriller genre movie adds a new depth to the tension and suspense in The Requin.
By leaning into that haunted house style of scare Kiet is able to develop the tension of the inevitable shark attack through small scares that slowly build throughout the film. The horror that these characters experience while trying to survive a truly terrifying situation is amplified by the building suspense and the small moments that culminate in the dangers of the ocean.
The haunted house influence also lends itself well to The Requin as the film doesn’t lean into the blood and gore one might expect from a shark movie instead treating the shark as a haunting presence for the main characters. This unique influence has a major impact on the execution of The Requin that is evident in the pacing and storytelling style of the film.
THE REQUIN TRAILER AND SYNOPSIS
There’s terror in paradise when Jaelyn (Alicia Silverstone) and Kyle (James Tupper) arrive at a remote seaside villa in Vietnam for a romantic getaway. A torrential storm descends, reducing the villa to little more than a raft and sweeping the young couple out to sea. Suddenly, another danger appears: a school of great white sharks. With her injured husband watching helplessly, Jaelyn must battle the deadly predators alone in this tense thriller that rides an unrelenting wave of fear.
The Requin is in theaters and available on demand now. The Requin is written and directed by Le-Van Kiet. The Requin stars Alicia Silverstone and James Tupper. Are you excited to see The Requin? What do you think about Le-Van Kiet being inspired by James Wan’s horror movies? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more.
