Despite progress, we still live in a world where women are vulnerable; where everyday insults and violations are normalised; where women’s feelings and views are minimalised and dismissed. In DATE 3 I wanted to make a film that explored the murky, and at times illusive, world of emotional abuse and manipulation, to give visceral insight into the female experience. The film is about bringing Ella’s interior world to the surface and making us feel what she’s feeling. Not being heard or believed can make you feel like you are screaming into the abyss. That there is a monster around every corner and behind every door.

The psychological thriller genre, with its potent metaphors and visceral emotive impact, speaks to the real threat of living with a dark unseen force. It’s a genre with a history of representing women as unhinged, over reactive, objectified and often disregarded. I wanted to play into this before subverting these expectations. The film sits with Ella, and the creeping sense of dread she is subjected to in her own home.  A past abusive relationship has left her traumatized and triggered by any sense of male aggression. To encapsulate this gothic unease, the threat at times is expressed without being connected to any particular person – a force, a violent presence underpinning her life, and then at other times it’s tied to a specific emotional relationship.

The Cinderella story was an initial guide when writing this film: a world exploring knights in shining armour, glittering things revealing their true identity after midnight, and the heightened world of the fairy tale. DATE 3 also pays homage to some of the horror tropes traditionally dominated by the male view – such as toy clowns, scissors, haunted houses and black cats – rather than becoming the horror, to evoke a language that we all respond to. The horror is in her head and the impact of the day-to-day misogyny that women have to deal with.

Kate Box’s ability to express fear is so palpable, and as the threat is unseen and at times, uncertain, her performance is key in conjuring the terror and distress. The casting intentionally plays against the Hitchcockian or fairytale petite blonde, bringing a strength and complexity to the role – a strong female character who can ultimately face the terror and take action. Dan Henshall’s ability to express warmth and humour, and then turn on a dime, was essential to creating the ambiguity that underpins this film. His ability to play the nice guy, until that ‘title’ is challenged, was a crucial element for casting the role of Harry.