Interview with Marion Le Corroller, the rising star of French-style body horror

Who were your sources of inspiration for this film?

Ari Aster and Yorgos Lanthimos. They are my two cinematographic gurus, for their framing, the weirdness of each shot, the tone, and their boldness in making films that make audiences uncomfortable.

People are already comparing your work with the work of Coralie Fargeat and Julia Ducournau. What are your thoughts on this?

That’s quite flattering. These women have done work I admire; they’ve inspired me and blazed the trail for genre films, but I think we each have our own identity and our own subject matter. There’s room for all female filmmakers, and I hope that next year we’ll be talking about a new young woman who’s coming out with a body horror film.

So, how would you define the Le Corroller style?

The film takes its inspiration from my own life story, as I experienced burnout myself back when I was working in finance. I had something very intimate and personal that I wanted to share. It’s hard to define your own identity, but this film’s tone and visuals really reflect who I am.

What was it about this genre that made it the perfect starting point for exploring the subject of burnout?

It’s something I experienced in my own body, so I wanted to tell the story in a very physical, visceral way. Body horror is the best tool for doing that. I adore horror, and body horror is a style that I’ve been watching ever since I was very young. I had no desire to make a naturalist film on this societal issue. Genre films have this dual role: they can be both exciting and exhilarating, but also politically engaged.

You have worked with Pierre-Olivier Persin who is known for his work in special effects make-up, most recently for The Substance and The Count of Monte Cristo. What did this collaboration focus on?

The challenge was to create a unique transformation. This required significant preparatory work — research into shapes, colors, and textures. We fine-tuned the details with subtle veins to create a highly realistic effect. Working with someone who is a true artist was incredible. He creates unique pieces, like how a painter would work on a painting.

How did you approach filming Mara Taquin’s body in the scenes where she appears nude?

I wanted to film a woman’s body that was neither glamorous nor sexy — a body that could be repulsive, diseased, oozing — and at the same time, I wanted to be up close, as near to the flesh as possible, as if I were microscopically dissecting what was going on inside that body. That’s why I use extreme close-up shots of her. It’s not just for the sake of it. Every shot is justified.