Women in Horror: An Interview With Alexis Jacknow

I am very happy to bring you the newest interview in the Killer Shorts Blog, Women in Horror series, with writer~director~actor Alexis Jacknow. Alexis has an expansive resume of projects, across various genres, but as a self-proclaimed “scaredy-pants”, she has found a new appreciation for the horror genre. The experience she’s had writing & directing her two horror shorts, CLOCK and COSTUME CHANGE, has inspired her to continue creating in the genre. You might have even seen COSTUME CHANGE, during the Halloween season, on FX or Freeform.

Alexis is in good company with many of our Women in Horror interviewees, as she has had both shorts featured in Hulu’s Bite Sized Huluween, after being recommended to pitch with 20th Digital. Much of Alexis’ work is deeply rooted in exploring societal pressures, from the idea of a “ticking biological clock” women often feel in CLOCK, to the feeling of “otherness” in COSTUME CHANGE. In our interview, Alexis shares her personal experience with the societal pressures, so many women feel, of wether or not to start a family while working on her career. This very concept is explored in her very well-made short CLOCK. Her main character deals with this pressure, and as Alexis puts it, “pressure is a fantastic conduit for psychological horror.” Sometimes this is the best use of the genre. There’s no monster, nothing jumps out at you, but as the audience we feel a heavy pressure & intensity, that allows the horror to be built in.

Being new to the genre, Alexis is really making a name for herself as a writer and director in horror. Along with her shorts, Alexis is also working on two features, THE BLINDINGS and THE VILLAGER. It was a real joy speaking with Alexis and learning more about her as a filmmaker, and a woman in horror. Find out what Alexis had to say about her films, and the upcoming projects she has in the works, in our interview below.

Conversations With Alexis

Where are you from and where do you currently reside? Do your surroundings influence your writing in any way?  

I’m originally from Austin, Texas and currently live in LA. I’m setting the feature version of CLOCK on the California coast, so yes, I’d definitely say my surroundings are an influence.

Was horror your chosen genre from the get-go, or did you discover it later?  

I’m a total scaredy pants and horror was definitely not my chosen genre from the get-go. I really feel like I only discovered it this past year and now I can’t watch enough of it. 

What do you like about the horror genre? What about this genre inspires you to continue creating?  

I like how creative you can get with horror. The visuals and ideas don’t necessarily have to be tied to reality, so it really opens up all kinds of imaginative possibilities. I also love that horror is a great vessel for socially-driven messages because it’s so entertaining at its core.

What is your first memory with the horror genre?  

My first memory with the horror genre is, I remember watching THE SHINING in high school with a bunch of friends.  And by “watch” I mean, my head was buried in my boyfriend’s chest for an hour and a half and I could only bear to look up a few times because I was so terrified.

What was the inspiration behind your horror short CLOCK?  

I really struggle with the idea of wanting children, starting a family, and what that might mean for my career. I only have a few more years to make that decision, hence…CLOCK.

Of course the idea of the “ticking biological clock” is something that weighs on the shoulders of many women, as well as, that of the busy, working mother. We also see a theme of pressure women feel when they don’t want children. Both of these concepts appear in your short CLOCK. What made you decide to use the horror genre to best represent these themes?  

I used the horror genre to represent the idea that pressure to do something you’re maybe not ready to do, or don’t want to do, or feel you should be doing, can be horrific. Pressure is a fantastic conduit for psychological horror.

As we see more and more women, Women of Color, and non-binary creators, and stories, in the horror genre, what do you hope audiences take away from watching CLOCK?  

My hope is that people will get a glimpse into the societal and corporeal pressure cooker of having a biological clock. I think a lot of women experience the dilemma of “having it all” and the more we talk about it and show it, the sooner we’ll get to a better place when it comes to maternity leave, job security, and re-defining gender roles.

What was the inspiration behind COSTUME CHANGE? It’s such a unique concept, and to have it air on FX & Freeform must have been very exciting.  

Yes! Production was really challenging on these pieces because we made them early in the pandemic and during the LA wildfires, so to see COSTUME CHANGE get released on such a great platform was really rewarding.

I had actually seen COSTUME CHANGE before, so it was nice to learn you created it. The short is so well done, that from it, I took the message of shedding your skin to reveal your true self. Is that something you set out to portray?

Yes! That’s exactly right. I grew up Jewish in the Bible Belt and I always wanted to fit in so badly with the rest of the kids, but I always felt so different. COSTUME CHANGE is about what “otherness” feels like to a child.  

Check out Alexis’ short COSTUME CHANGE on Hulu.

How did both of your projects come to be a part of Hulu’s Bite Sized Huluween? Were you approached to create them? 

A friend sent my name over to 20th Digital at the beginning of 2020. They asked me to pitch them some ideas and I think they were actually the last in-person meeting I had before we shut down for COVID. I was so happy that they chose a couple of my pieces and moved forward with production. I was especially grateful to get to direct and create something during the pandemic.

How has this experience helped you grow in your career? Influenced your next projects? Did you enjoy the process of writing & creating shorts? 

Working on these shorts really inspired me to explore more horror in my career. This process was so challenging because of all the COVID restrictions and we did the entirety of post over Zoom, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  I had a fantastic time working on them.

Trigger Warning: The below section refers to school shootings in reference to a feature film.

How is the process of developing your first horror feature, THE BLINDINGS? Are there any other future projects YOU want to share or highlight? What’s next for you?

Developing THE BLINDINGS has been a total blast. 21 Laps Entertainment has been such a champion of mine this year and I’m thrilled to be collaborating with them.  

This coming fall, I’m hoping to direct my first feature, THE VILLAGER. It’s about the mother of a school shooter who accidentally becomes pregnant again late in life and must start over in the angry town that holds her responsible.  I’m more passionate than ever about making this film after the devastating shootings in our country this month.  

When you look back on your career, what mark do you hope to leave on this industry?

I have one hope for my legacy, which is that my stories create empathy.

The Killer Shorts Contest hopes Alexis’ journey as a writer & director, in the horror genre, will be good inspiration for our finalists, and any future entries. Having seen an Alexis Jacknow project, prior to meeting her, I was able to evaluate her work with fresh, unbiased eyes. My first impression of COSTUME CHANGE was it explored the idea of shedding one’s skin to reveal your true self. This is a concept I think we have all had to explore, especially during this long year of introspective work, I know I have been doing. In a short 2 minutes and 33 seconds, you can feel the courage of the filmmaker. I was very pleased to find out, several months later, COSTUME CHANGE was, in fact, created by the courageous, thought-provoking Alexis Jacknow.

CLOCK, and Alexis’ personal anecdote of feeling pressures of having children, while building a career, I found very inspiring. I know many have felt that biological clock, or the pressure of not wanting children, so to see CLOCK use that concept as a conduit for horror, really speaks true to that. I am really excited about Alexis’ upcoming horror film THE BLINDINGS with 21 Laps Entertainment. Check out her shorts, and make sure to look our for Alexis Jacknow’s future work.

You can find more of Alexis’ work at her website.

Find Clock on Hulu’s Youtube channel and Alexis’ website.

Find Costume Change on Hulu.

For more on screenwriting, visit The Screenwriters Network and join the discord server to network with over 6000 screenwriters.

Featured Image: Created by Ieva Berzina. (Photo from Clock. Headshot provided by Alexis Jacknow)