House of Flies – a psychological queer horror film

Sponsored Feature: Kid Wonder & AKA Dinosaurs Productions

House of Flies is an upcoming psychological and supernatural queer horror film, written and directed by Alex Havens, that promises to deliver a thrilling blend of dread and terror.

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House of Flies is a dark, atmospheric queer indie horror film that blurs the line between psychological dread and supernatural terror. Set in a dated farmhouse with a questionable history, the story follows a small group of characters as their perceptions of reality unravel in terrifying and unexpected ways.

A Q&A with Writer/Director Alex Havens

Welcome, Alex! Thanks for joining us to discuss your upcoming horror film House of Flies. What drew you to this project, and what themes do you hope to explore through the film?

Thank you so much for the opportunity! House of Flies is a project of passion for myself and our team that was born from a literal nightmare I had in November 2024 that had me awake throughout the witching hour until I had the entire outline of the first draft. As I navigated a difficult time in my life, I knew I wanted to explore the themes of closure and letting go while also the consequences they can sometimes have when we’re desperate to seek or refuse such, respectively. One month later, I had the final draft in my hands and I knew it was the film I wanted to make my directorial debut with and began assembling my team.

Are there any queer horror films that influenced House of Flies?

Indirectly, absolutely. When I saw I Saw the TV Glow, at the time, I could only wish to achieve the opportunity to create something so visually striking, viscerally disturbing, and deeply personal while not being overtly so. Outside of the queer horror film realm, the film is heavily influenced by late 70s/80s “cabin in the woods” horror that jump started my love for it all. I am incredibly honored to have the chance to infuse all of these influences together into, what I’m told, is an incredibly fun and fresh love letter to the genre.

The film is heavily influenced by late 70s/80s “cabin in the woods” horror that jump started my love for it all.

Can you walk us through the casting process? How did you find the perfect actors to bring your characters to life?

Absolutely! Casting, in my personal opinion, was the hardest journey thus far. I led the charge in casting and reviewed submissions we accepted from Backstage and our casting inbox. We had an incredible amount of talent submit and compelling callbacks with a lot of very interesting people, but also faced a lot of adversity in casting queer leads. We had a lot of feedback that some male actors did not “do those types of roles”, which was incredibly disappointing after I had become so captivated with their audition. Fortunately, I’m certain those responses made way for Cayman Cardiff (Mason/Executive Producer) and Sky Crystal (Avery) to fully embody the characters the way I imagined. Casting Tara and Joseph also proved difficult as chemistry was so important to ensure believability as a grieving married couple, where it wasn’t as important to have complete chemistry between Mason and Avery due to the nature of their relationship as it stands in the film. Amanda Medlin (Tara) and Nicholas Heart (Joseph) were no-brainers once I saw their screen test together. Gavin Hensley (The Creature) was our first submission and our first choice throughout the process. He brought another level to the creature feature we crafted and elevated the character just through his audition.

What drew you to the farmhouse setting, and what atmosphere do you hope to create with it?

House of Flies was actually initially written to take place in a cabin-esque home in the middle of the woods. Due to the restrictions that are imposed with independent productions, we weren’t able to build our own set so we had to compromise. Luckily, we found an incredible maze of a farmhouse in College Grove, TN that was a perfect compromise for our story. With expansive acres, custom trails, and old barns, it’s the perfect playground for a classic supernatural thriller.

You currently have an Indiegogo campaign running to raise funds. What perks can horror fans receive for supporting the film?

Great question! We have a lot of awesome perks through the Indiegogo campaign to offer any backers, both interactive and immersive. You can get a personalized thank you video from the cast and crew, signed copies of the script, 1:1 Q&As with yours truly, as well as walk-on roles to share a scene with Cayman Cardiff! We’re even offering physical copies of our score and soundtrack by the incredibly talented Gory Rory. We have a lot of ways to get involved with House of Flies and we’re excited to have everyone be a part of it!

What do you hope audiences take away from House of Flies?

There are certain things I would love for audiences to take away from House of Flies that I’m hesitant to speak on prior to its release as I know there are brainiacs out there who will completely decipher a simple passage into the the entire story, but ultimately, I want audiences to understand and take away that this is a story of love and humanity at the core. Every character is complex and nuanced and it only aids to every decision made, whether good or bad, as well as the consequences of those decisions, if any. Yes, this is a story featuring two queer men at the heart, but it is a story that everyone can relate to on some level and that’s what I would love to shine through.

Learn more about House of Flies at hofmovie.com and IMDb.