‘Scurry’: Luke Sparke on Crafting a Claustrophobic Australian Thriller

Single-shot horror thriller ‘Scurry’ delivers quality scares in tight spaces; Director Luke Sparke talks about the film, his approach to story and his unique place within the Australian film scene

Stuck with you: Jamie Costa and Emalia seek sunlight in ‘Scurry’.

Scurry screens at Monster Fest 6.30pm Wednesday 9 October @ Nova

SCURRY ***1/2 (95 minutes)

Now, here’s a novel twist to the usual alien invasion scenario: have your beleaguered human protagonists stuck in a tunnel the whole time.

Prolific Queensland independent filmmaker Luke Sparke has come up trumps with a visually captivating close-quarters horror film as two survivors (Jamie Costa, Emalia) find themselves crawling through a cavity trying to cope with each other before being distracted by the menacing growls coming from behind.

With nothing to cut away to, the tension tightens as the pair scramble to find an exit to the surface before being confronted whatever else might be sharing their intimate space.

If you don’t have claustrophobia or fear of the dark going in, chances are you will have by the time you come out.

Written by Tom Evans, Sparke directs with remarkable proficiency, building sufficient empathy for our heroes and pulling off a notable technical feat by making the whole thing look like it was filmed in a single shot, incorporating images on phone screens to add some topside dimension to the interplay between the characters.

Sparke has already given us two alien invasion films with the small-scale Occupation (2018) and its supersized sequel Occupation: Rainfall (2020), so Scurry chimes in as an inventive variation on a theme he’s more than familiar with. There’s even a tease there could be a sequel, though presumably he’d have to finish the next Occupation movie first.

Having also made Red Billabong (2016), Bring Him to Me and Devil Beneath (both 2023), and with three projects on the slate, Sparke has established himself as a leading independent Australian filmmaker who doesn’t like to wait or be caught up in the red tape of government funding.

Sparke was kind enough to carve out some minutes in his busy schedule to talk about Scurry, his approach to story and how he sees himself in the context of the Australian film industry.

Apologies for the scratchy audio in the first minute and for the interviewer sounding slightly muffled. All of Sparke’s utterances are clear, which is really all that counts.

A slightly longer version of this chat will go up once Scurry secures a release.

Source: https://shorturl.at/ujaH3