Mickey Keating’s latest horror oeuvre, Psychopaths arrives today on VOD. Originally reviewed HERE, Psychopaths tells the story of a night of chaos, mayhem, and violence that takes place on a single night. Sparked, in part by the execution of a psychotic criminal, the ensemble piece follows a set of violent strangers as they act out their most disturbing desires. The man behind this movie is writer, director Mickey Keating.

A seemingly mild mannered guy, Keating is one of our favorite new directors in Hollywood today, responsible for films like Carnage Park (HorrorBuzz top 10 of 2016) and Darling. With the supremely disturbing new film hitting VOD thought we would share our conversation with the man behind the madness on his movie, his inspirations, and the time he showed his mom his latest film.

HorrorBuzz: I really enjoyed Psychopaths. I know it is having a hard time finding an audience, but I dug it.It was a lot of fun. What inspired you to make a movie that delves into the world of psychosis?

Mickey Keating: Well I had been wanting to do this movie for a while. I wrote it right after I finished up my last film, Darling, and I wrote it really fast, then it was almost a two year endeavor to get it rolling. I think what was important to me was to make a movie about madness in a mad world and the people that inhabit it. That was really the jumping off point. I was also excited to about it being an ensemble piece driven solely by the characters as opposed to using too many plot devices.

HB: Were there any inspirations for the film?

MK: I think the director that inspired me on this project, right out the gate is Robert Altman and his movies like Nashville or Shortcuts. These ensemble pieces that cut back and forth in a freewheeling kind of way to explore the characters. That process or that form of experimental filmmaking seemed more appealing to me to do as my next project. My films up to that point, even my film Darling, they follow a sort of A to B structure. This one was kind of a way to try a whole different kind of story structure.

HB: You mention Altman, but what other filmmakers were inspirations for this film and your process?

MK: The filmmakers I gravitate to, are DePalma, my adoration for DePalma is totally clear. I think Lars Von Trier is one of the most important working filmmakers today. I think, going back to the 60’s and 70’s, the big four were like the the Kenneth Anger movies, The Invocation of My Demon Brother and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and Paul Scrader’s Hardcore and even a movie like Vice Squad or something like that. Even for this movie in particular I watched a few Giallo movies that really stuck with me, like Four Flies on Grey Velvet, those kind of Argento films because they are just absolutely gorgeous. Really that 60’s and 70’s sort of free spirited storytelling is what I was drawn to, what was on my mind.

HB: Did you even bother trying to get a rating for Psychopaths or were you just like, “forget it.”

MK: Uh, my films don’t get ratings. I think I have only had one movie of mine, Pod, go through the MPAA. I think Darling and Carnage Park were both released unrated and that’s great. I think what’s weird is that with all of the violence and all of the insanity in movies today that we wouldn’t have had a problem getting an R. But it would be amazing to release a film with an NC-17, it would be incredible. I would welcome and accept that rating.

HB: A rating to you is an afterthought. It didn’t inform what you were trying to do on screen.

MK: Absolutely. I think there is nothing that I could have done in Psychopaths that would have matched anything done in, say Hostel 2. I think movies like that and The Hills Have Eyes from the early 2000’s really paved the way for anything goes except for hardcore sex in this day and age. I think that if I ever made a movie that did NOT get an R from the MPAA I would be astounded.

HB: Were there any scenes in Psychopaths that you felt you were really pushing it?

MK: Yeah I could tell you the scene that my mom got mad about (Laughter). She really hated the hotel room scene because that comes right out the gate and is very violent. She also hated the needles in the fingertips. She was like, “What went wrong in your childhood?” and I am like, “It’s my love letter to Takashi Miike.” So, it’s not me that is fucked up. Movies inspire movies.

HB: You mention Miike, do you have a favorite one of his?

MK: Oh gosh well, I love Audition, everyone loves Audition. I like Detective Story, that one is really awesome. Ichi the Killer is incredible, I love Gozu as bizarre and insane as that is.

HB: Did you see Masters of Horror: Imprint?

MK: Oh my god yes! That’s the one where she’s hanging upside down? Yeah there is some needle work in that one.At one point all of the Masters of Horror episodes became available to me so I watched them all. I loved the John Carpenter one too.

HB: Cigarette Burns?

MK: YES!

Ashley Bell as Alice in Psychopaths

HB: Oh man that one was gnarly. So, can Ashley Bell do anything wrong?

MK: No. Definitively no. She was born to be a movie star and it’s only a matter of time before somebody really discovers her and swipes her up for another Star Wars movie or something big and she won’t return my phone calls. I am convinced there is no better actor working today.

HB: I loved how you held the one tight shot on her face while she did the monologue.

MK: Well, to cut away from her would be a travesty. She is one of those actors that I just am lucky to sit at the monitor and watch. Cassavetes said that the greatest special effect in the world is an actor and it’s absolutely the truth. There are a lot of ways to do multiple personalities in a film, but just seeing somebody talking to themselves, and in particular, her doing it, I am in awe. That was one of those things where I didn’t even have to direct, I just sat there and watched.

HB: What do you have coming up after this?

MK: We still have episodes of The Core coming out on Shudder which is fun, completely different from the movies I direct, and I am hoping to get another movie going soon. I have two projects that I am very optimistic about one of which stars Frank Langella and with any luck that will be something win the new year.

HB: we look forward to it!

Psychopaths is available NOW on VOD.