‘His House’ Dp on Framing the Horror of the Refugee Experience
Remi Weekes’ “His House” centers around a couple Bol (Sopé Dìrísù) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) who have fled war in South Sudan for refuge in the United Kingdom, except their dream soon turns into a nightmare as “The Crown’s” Matt Smith, who plays a caseworker, shows them their new home. It’s infested with rats and soon after, they start hearing sounds within their walls.Cinematographer Jo Willems’ main goal for the new Netflix horror film was to get as close as possible to the actors to show the horror that came from their own traumas. Damp wallpaper peels back to reveal black holes in the walls with visions of horror within. Rial believes a witch has followed them from Sudan, and Willems stayed close to capture that feeling of being trapped and isolated because they can’t go back to Sudan.Below, Willems talks about his lighting and framing while avoiding jump scares. ...