On December 17, survival thriller Crypsis, filmed on the North Shore, will be released by Evolutionary Films.
Written and directed by Saugus native Paul Anthony Rogers, the film follows a group of friends who make a bet to camp on an island for the night. Unbeknownst to them, a strange creature lurks in the island’s woods, terrorizing their every move throughout the night. Filmed about five years ago on the North Shore, the movie was shot primarily in Gloucester, with one scene filmed in Lynn and one in Magnolia, a village of Gloucester.
The movie is Roger’s first full-length feature. He’s previously done a handful of short films, mostly done in New England—his drama short Daylight was shot on the North Shore, as was comedy Unholy Matrimony. Wired was shot in Vermont. After spending five years living in LA and working on scripts, he decided that “a creature film, a low-budget horror film, was the best way for getting a full-length film done,” Rogers said.
With a cast and crew composed mostly of New England natives, Rogers set out to bring his screenplay to life.
“Gloucester worked out great for the film,” said Rogers. He needed an area that was both proximal to the city and would work with the film’s aesthetics. “We needed coastal land, interior woods, and an island.”
“The creature suit was built completely out of Woburn,” said Rogers. With folks from New York, LA, and mostly Massachusetts, the suit was assembled over nine weeks and with twelve total people.
The actors were primarily New England-based as well—lead actor Eddie Nason hails from Pawtucket, second lead Anthony Hoang from Worcester, and Taylor West is from New Hampshire.
Rogers says the film, an Uncork’d Entertainment production, is “a survival movie at its core, with little elements of everything— adventure, drama, comedy.”
“I came up with the concept many six or seven years ago,” said Rogers. “Many moons ago. Then I started working on the script.”
The cast and crew holds a public premiere for the film on January 26 at 3 p.m. at the Regent Theatre in Arlington.
You can find Crypsis available December 17 on DVD, Amazon Prime, and Redbox. Check out some behind-the-scenes photos below.
