Introduction
Daniel’s Room is a short psychological horror/thriller written by Mark Carey and directed by Jack Richardson. The film follows Emily, who returns to her childhood home on the eve of its sale, intending to confront her estranged step-brother Daniel one final time. As night falls, the house begins to force the pair to confront a past that neither has been able to leave behind. At its heart, the film is about grief, guilt and the way places can hold memories that we would rather forget.
Inspiration
The idea for Daniel’s Room came partly from writer Mark Carey’s own experiences and his interest in how the past can continue to affect us long after we think we have moved on. What immediately appealed to me about the script was that the horror wasn’t really about a traditional monster or supernatural threat. It was about something much more human: buried trauma, grief and guilt.
I wanted to approach the film as a psychological thriller first and a horror film second. The house became really central to that. Growing up, my family lived for a spell in a rather terrifying old home that left me with distinct memories that I drew on. I knew that Emily and Daniel’s house is somewhere that should feel familiar and comforting, but as Emily spends more time there, that familiarity starts to become unsettling. The idea that a childhood home can contain both happy memories and incredibly painful ones felt like a strong foundation for the film.
For me, the most interesting part was exploring what happens when memories that have been submerged for years start to surface. Rather than explaining everything, we wanted the audience to experience Emily’s confusion and unease alongside her.
The Process
We made Daniel’s Room on a very modest independent budget, with a huge amount of support from our Kickstarter backers and from the cast and crew who gave their time, skills and resources to make the film happen.
We were incredibly fortunate to have Ilmington Manor as our main location. It gave us the scale and atmosphere the story needed, while also presenting some obvious challenges. We were essentially taking a large, empty stately home and trying to make it feel increasingly claustrophobic and threatening. A lot of the filmmaking therefore came down to using the space carefully – framing, movement, light and, importantly, silence.
As a first-time director, there was obviously a huge amount to learn. We had a small team and limited resources, so there wasn’t really the option of simply throwing more equipment or time at a problem. We had to be prepared, communicate well and trust the people around us.
One of the things I’m most proud of is how collaborative the process became. The cast and crew were overwhelmingly West Midlands-based, and everyone brought a huge amount to the project. It genuinely felt like a group of people coming together to make something they cared about, rather than simply people turning up to do a job.
The film premiered at Warwick Arts Centre on Friday 13th June 2025, in a sold-out screening. Seeing the film on the big screen, surrounded by the people who had helped make it, was a pretty special moment and made all of the challenges of getting it finished worthwhile. We were incredibly fortunate to have the wonderful Rob Fuz as part of the project, who produced a great ‘Making Of’ micro-documentary of the filming process – available to watch here: https://vimeo.com/1090272313/86c411d504?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
What It Means to Be a Finalist
Being selected as a finalist at Worcester Film Festival is a really meaningful recognition for Daniel’s Room. The film has had a fantastic response during its festival run, including wins at various regional and national festivals for Best West Midlands Film, Best Film, Best Horror and Best Cinematography, as well as a number of other nominations and official selections.
Worcester is particularly important to us because this is a film made in the West Midlands, by West Midlands cast and crew. To have it recognised by a BIFA qualifying festival in the region is something we’re genuinely proud of. Hopefully it also helps demonstrate what can be achieved by independent filmmakers working with local talent and relatively limited resources.
Where to Watch / Follow
Daniel’s Room is currently continuing its festival run, so we’re keeping the film available for festival audiences before looking at its wider release. You can follow the film on Instagram @danielsroomfilm and find the latest festival news, awards, behind-the-scenes material and updates through Run Home Productions at runhome.co.uk/daniels-room
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