Alfonso Cuarón has proved his prowess as a director over and over again. While all of his works are critical darlings, even earning him astonishing accolades, some have gone on to be both critical and commercial blockbusters including one of his most celebrated works Gravity starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. However, the director is eyeing for a genre shift and that’s a good thing.
Alfonso Cuarón Is Eying On A Genre Shift
Alfonso Cuarón. Image Credit: Julio Hardy/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Alfonso Cuarón who has several astounding titles to his credit Children of Men, Y tu mamá también, and Oscar winner Roma, recently revealed that he has been eying on having a shift in genre. While the director has gathered ample experience directing movies across genres, the closest he ever went to directing a horror-ish movie was when he helmed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Still, it would be criminal to say his Harry Potter movie is a horror flick. But now, the director is really rooting for having a tantalizing taste of the genre.
“My aspiration is to one day do a horror film,” Cuarón said during a masterclass at the Locarno Film Festival (via Deadline). “I love Rosemary’s Baby, and the other Polanski films, and films like The Babadook. They’re so grounded in reality and in character so I love those,” he continued adding, “As a spectator, I have a wider taste but anything I feel I could do would need to be more grounded. I’ve been trying to write something like that, but somehow, it doesn’t fully work.”
Cuarón would want to explore rather the traditional horrors as he mentioned Roman Polanski’s psychological horror masterpiece Rosemary’s Baby and Jennifer Kent’s acclaimed grotesque horror drama The Babadook has been his fascination.
Why Alfonso Cuarón’s Genre Shift To Horror Is A Good Thing?
Alfonso Cuarón with Roma actor Yalitza Aparicio. Image Credit: Carlos Somonte/Netflix
Cuarón has mastered the thrilling sensation and the dramatic aspect in his works with acute elegance and there would be no debate that the director would integrate all his experience and unique vision into his potential horror projects in the near future. Certainly, his approach to horror movies would be much different as compared to his longtime pal and fellow director Guillermo del Toro who also has an Oscar to his credit as Best Director for his 2017 romantic fantasy The Shape of Water. del Toro has mastered fantasia horror with several titles including Pan’s Labyrinth but Cuarón’s road to horror would have his unique signature and traits.
Cuarón should make movies beyond his genres which will not enhance his glorious resume but would be masterfully composed visual treats. Cuarón’s movies are visually stunning and pure artistic passion written all over them, Gravity would be a perfect example of the blend of commercially viable and artistically or visually splendid narrative. His subtle yet delicate use of twists with immaculate suspense would make his horror projects feasts for fans.
Fans will have to wait for his take on the horror genre for a while but in the meantime, it would be worth checking out his upcoming Apple TV+ psychological thriller series Disclaimer starring Cate Blanchett which is scheduled for October 11, 2024 premiere.
