Brandon Christensen talks about his latest film, Z, which follows a family who finds themselves terrorized by their eight-year-old son’s imaginary friend. During the interview, he recalls watching the mini-series It, where a clown terrorizes young children. The Stephen King classic haunted him for years and the memory inspired the story of Z.

 

Christensen refers to Z as a “spiritual successor” to his first film Still/Born, a supernatural story where a woman gives birth to twins, but only one of them is alive. Both films look at the drama and complexities of mother/parent trama.

Critics have compared Z to The Babadook.It’s a fair comparison,” he tells me, “The Babadock uses depression as a metaphor for telling a story about a kid and a mom.”

Brandon Christensen

Beautifully shot in Canada and featuring an outstanding cast, Z will be streaming on www.shudder.com and available on VOD, Digital HD, DVD, and Blu-ray September 1, 2020. Be sure to lock the doors, look under the bed, and check the closet to make sure an unwelcomed guest isn’t watching with you.