BITE DOWN is a contemporary revisionist-western horror film that adds a fresh twist on the werewolf sub-genre. To boil down its tone, it rests between the burning existential dread of THE VVITCH, the interpersonal dynamics of MEEKS CUTOFF, and the survivalist tension of the myth vs reality in THE TERROR. As a director, I have always been drawn to films with a journey as it’s driving narrative force— often times these “point A to point B” movies work best with a defined period or genre to help frame a central dramatic argument against what an audience understands the rules of the genre and journey to be. BITE DOWN seeks to exist within this space; to use framework of a journey in the old west combined with the conventions of horror to draw an audience in, but then subvert expectations and redefine what this type of film has the capacity to be. To create characters that possess a mosaic of desires, pasts, needs, and connections to a theme that give every audience member something to relate to. To encourage an audience to face a new perspective that leaves a lasting impression— something that they feel they haven’t seen before.


This theme is the beating heart of the movie— for the characters themselves, the genre as a whole, and for our audiences relationship to the message of the film.