Versipellis

In this spine-chilling horror film, a young girl, Sophia, faces the dilemma of choosing whom to trust when an imposter infiltrates her home.

Director’s Statement

This project marks my first venture into the horror genre—an exciting challenge that I’ve approached with both creative curiosity and thorough preparation. After a deep dive into horror’s cinematic language, tropes, and tension-building techniques, I felt ready to craft something that is not only visually compelling but genuinely terrifying.

The story draws inspiration from Coraline (2009) in its narrative tone and performance style, and from The Thing (1982) in its use of practical effects and atmosphere. I’m also influenced by the emotional weight and tension of Hereditary (2016) and Insidious (2010), both of which shaped the stylistic goals I set for this film.

Though horror is new terrain for me, I’m surrounded by a talented and dedicated crew whose passion and focus match my own. This collaboration is at the heart of what makes filmmaking so rewarding—and I’m proud of what we’ve created together.

Credits

Sophia - Imogen Evans
Theo - Finlay Whitfield
Mother - Nicola Fishwick
Father - Jonny Hoskins
Writer/Director - James Rigby
Producer - Dunyasha Althaus
Line Producer - Millie Luther
1AD - Robyn Norwood
Cinematographer - Casper Griffin
Camera Operator - Tai Bratcher
1AC - Charlie Lacey-Harrison
2AC - Grace Murray
Gaffer - Arnav Sharma
Spark - Tom Robins
Key Make-up Artist - Ammie Shipton
Make-up Artists - Nicola Childs Ford & Jessica Cove
Production Designer - Flynn Laban
Art Director - Sam Coates
Sound Operators - Cosmo Gamaggio & Harrison Wright
Script Supervisors - Vadim Gitlin, Millie Luther & Dunyasha Althaus
Casting Director - James Rigby
Costume Designers - James Rigby & Dunyasha Althaus
Costume Assistant - Beverly Baker
Editor - James Rigby
Colourist - James Rigby
Sound Designer - James Rigby
Music Score - Harvey Coates
Lyrics - Harvey Coates
Additional Lyrics - James Rigby
Singer “Fragile World” - Caitlin Kirby
Behind the scenes Photographers - Dan Bowhay & Jessie Tarrant
Emilia Althaus, Jüerg Althaus, Stéphanie Becker-Fariña, Graeme Delaney-Smith, Christine Fariña, Stanislas hildebrandt, Wai-Chi Man-Norwood, Xavier Nolan, Tim Rumball
Production - James Movies
Location - Bournemouth