When fans associate an actor with one particular role, it can be hard for the actor to distance themselves from said character. For Doctor Who fans, this may be the case for some, as former companion Karen Gillan takes on the horror genre for one of her first feature film roles outside the franchise. Directed by Mike Flanagan and having its North American premiere at SXSW, Oculus saw a decent crowd brave the cold rain for a midnight screening at the Stateside Theatre last night.
Dealing with the supernatural is a plotline well-used by filmmakers, but there is something deliciously creepy about the way Oculus is put together. Gillan, as one of two protagonists, shines in the genre – she’s no Scream Queen, but the actress definitely makes an impact with vulnerability behind each piece of well scripted dialogue. The film, originally a short piece, was shot over 26 days in Alabama in late 2012, the first exposure Gillan had to America.
During the Q&A session which followed the screening, Gillan jokingly gave a nod to her sci-fi roots when describing how she got onboard the project, “I got on Skype with Mike… then out of the frame I saw him take a drink from his mug, which was a TARDIS! I thought, ‘Yes! I’ve got this in the bag’.”
Oculus is set for release in the USA on April 11th. Details of any Australian release date have yet to be announced.
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