Truth and consequences: how fake news drives the plot of The Unholy
The supernatural horror film is trying to do more than entertain, writes Georgia Humphreys
In new horror film The Unholy, the implications of fake news have catastrophic consequences for a small town in America, according to its star Jeffrey Dean Morgan and director Evan Spiliotopoulos.
Based on James Herbert’s book Shrine, the screenplay was written by director Spiliotopoulos, who says he always “wanted to tell a supernatural thriller in the framework of a journalism thriller.”
“The term ‘fake news’ is in the zeitgeist, so I tried to explore the consequences that ensue when a journalist loses their moral compass,” continues the Greek-american screenwriter, who wrote the script for the 2017 remake of Beauty And The Beast.
Morgan stars as Gerry Fenn, a disgraced journalist turned stringer-for-hire, of supernatural tabloid fodder. When he is sent to investigate a strange occurrence in a small farming community, Gerry, a born sceptic, quickly dismisses the incident as just another benign story.
But then he witnesses teenager Alice (Cricket Brown), who is deaf, whispering next to a petrified oak tree in the middle of a field, and a series of inexplicable events follows. Does Alice really have special powers that mean she can perform miracles?
Fenn sees an opportunity to redeem his reputation and resurrect his career, as the hopeful masses descend upon this off-the-beatenpath town.
Morgan, 55, arguably best known for his TV work (he has starred in Supernatural, Grey’s Anatomy and The Walking Dead), hopes that The Unholy gives viewers a chance to “disappear and get transported somewhere else”.
“I think that that in itself is needed more now than ever before,” he says.
He also recalls how being at home during the pandemic – the shoot was paused part way through for eight months due to Covid-19 – made him think about the theme of fake news that is explored in The Unholy.
“Gerry is guilty of fabricating stories. At the beginning of our film, his self-serving actions open Pandora’s box. He wins great acclaim, revives his career, has a second chance at fame and success. But the results are catastrophic for the town of Banfield, the character of Alice, and potentially the entire world.
“From that perspective, the supernatural threat is a metaphor of very real social and political damage that can be done by intentionally false narratives in the media.”
Gerry’s story trajectory certainly takes viewers on a ride, which is what most attracted Morgan to the “well-rounded” part.
"We added a little bit more of a sense of humour as we went,” says the father-oftwo – he has two sons with One Tree Hill actress Hilarie Burton.
“But he was this guy that we meet and is disgraced, a bit of a prick, and then, through the course of this story, does get a little bit of a shot at redemption. And it’s fun because he acknowledges that he’s a prick, and I got to sort of play with that.
“Evan gave me all sorts of room to have some fun with that character, and I did.”
● The Unholy is out in cinemas now.