By Paul Salfen
At Fantastic Fest, where horror reigns supreme and audiences crave the next big scare, Bryan Bertino’s latest psychological thriller Vicious premiered to screams and squirms. The filmmaker behind The Strangers and The Dark and the Wicked sat down with AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen to discuss releasing his “baby” into the world, the magic of Dakota Fanning’s tour-de-force performance, and the Hail Mary moment that launched his career. As Bertino puts it, in a world where grabbing attention is tougher than ever, making people feel something—especially fear—is the ultimate win.
A One-Woman Nightmare: Dakota Fanning Carries the Load
In Vicious, Dakota Fanning stars as Polly, a woman who receives a mysterious box from an unexpected late-night visitor (Kathryn Hunter). The instructions are deceptively simple: place inside something you need, something you hate, and something you love. What starts as a strange ritual spirals into a waking nightmare, trapping Polly in a reality-bending hell where she must confront impossible choices and the darkness within herself before it consumes everything.
Bertino doesn’t hold back on praise for Fanning, who is in every scene and literally carries the film. “You really cannot go on enough about what Dakota was able to bring to this,” he told Salfen. “She’s instrumental to the movie… People often forget that they’re watching a movie that’s just one person for 90%. I think all of that is because she is so fantastic and easy to [watch], and she’s bringing so much to each little moment.”
Fanning herself has called the experience a “real adventure,” cherishing the chance to work with Bertino and hoping for future collaborations. Supporting players include Mary McCormack as Polly’s mother, Rachel Blanchard as her sister Lainie, Devyn Nekoda as Tara, Klea Scott as a neighbor, and Emily Mitchell as Polly’s niece Aly. Produced by Richard Suckle (American Hustle, The Suicide Squad) for Atlas Independent, with Paramount Pictures handling release, Vicious was shot in Ottawa, Ontario, bringing Polly’s isolated terror to vivid life through a top-tier crew: DP Tristan Nyby, production designer Jennifer Spence, and editors like Tad Dennis.
From Pandemic Isolation to Visceral Self-Confrontation
Bertino conceived Vicious in 2020, at the pandemic’s onset, when excessive free time led to reflection on “uncomfortable moments and unhealthy relationships.” He drew from stories of feeling “stuck and locked in,” where attempts to escape only fed deeper problems. “I wanted to write a story that really explored that pain in a visceral way,” Bertino explained in production notes. “Vicious is about a woman who, over one night, is forced to confront herself intimately and look into the battles people face with their own demons.”
This contained, character-driven approach is Bertino’s horror hallmark. Producer Suckle notes, “What makes Bryan such a fantastic filmmaker… is that he writes character-driven stories. And those are essentially dramas.” Bertino adds, “Fear is a very intimate thing… Often the most frightening moments are when you’re by yourself or with one other person.” By narrowing the scope, he immerses viewers in Polly’s psyche: “Fear forces people to think about what matters to them. What we’re scared of points out who we are, what we want, what we desire.”
In the interview, Bertino hopes audiences walk away buzzing about Fanning’s transformative role above all. “This is such a different role for her… I really want her performance to be the key, top thing because I could never have made this movie without her.”
Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers and a Career-Defining Hail Mary
With filmmakers in the Fantastic Fest crowd eyeing his success, Salfen asked for advice. Bertino, who lacked formal training or much experience early on, kept it real: “It was always about finding a story and then truly just sticking with it and trying to believe in [it]… and trying to figure out a way to communicate as much as they could on screen.”
He shared his own breakthrough—a true Hail Mary. Broke in Hollywood with no bank account, he scraped together $180 to enter three scripts in a contest. “The Strangers got picked in the top quarter. That got me a manager and my life changed overnight… I was running out of time and money and said, screw it, I’m going to give it a shot.”
The Takeaway: More Than Just Scares
Like the best horror, Vicious lingers beyond the jumps. Bertino wants viewers reflecting on self-confrontation, the intimacy of fear, and Fanning’s powerhouse turn. As he watched the Fantastic Fest crowd react, he beamed: “It’s cool to see people actually scream… Making anything that anybody feels something is getting so much more difficult.”
Vicious is a Paramount Pictures release that’s equal parts thrilling and thought-provoking. Bertino’s “baby” is out in the world—and it’s ready to haunt yours. Check it out, and prepare to squirm.
