Award-winning director Alice Maio Mackay has become a Name in indie horror with her back-to-back releases of films shot with a predominantly queer, nonbinary, and trans cast and crew that explore queer experiences and lives through a low-budget, Ozploitation-esque style. SATRANIC PANIC is Mackay’s fourth feature following T BLOCKERS (2023), BAD GIRL BOOGEY (2022), and breakout shudder exclusive SO VAM (2021). After praised festival runs, this latest explosive feature from Dark Star Pictures is now available digitally in North America.

Fear Forever sat down with Mckay to talk about SATRANIC PANIC and her approaches to filmmaking.

FF: Horror seems to be your genre of choice so far. Is there something about it that draws you to it when writing and making your films?
AMM: Yeah, I grew up as a horror fan on Buffy and Adams Family and all that kind of thing. As a filmmaker, I feel like I’m drawn to the genre because I get to work with genres within that genre. Horror has a range and such diversity to it. Like, I can make a vampire film, then I can make a slasher film, and then within those films themselves, I like to tackle coming-of-age films and themes. 
And I feel like It’s a fun way to approach those themes and topics that I want to tackle. Especially with SATRANIC PANIC, some of the themes can be kind of depressing. If it was just a drama film, I guess it would be a little more sombre, but being able to have the horror elements, you can see the protagonist tackle literal demons. And I think that’s cathartic.   

FF: As you said, you’ve given us vampires, demons, slashers, revenge thrillers so far. Are there any other subgenres you want to explore?
AMM: I think so. My next film is a little more supernatural and witchy. But when I’m making a film, like when I start writing them, I don’t really start off with the subgenre I want to explore. Generally, the more grounded, non-horror elements come first and then what can go hand-in-hand and make those dramatic elements work best within horror.

FF: You’ve been called the “heir to John Waters” Is that a title you embrace? Does camp play a role in your films?
AMM: I mean, it’s a big compliment, and if someone wants to say that about me, I mean, definitely, he’s one of my heroes.  
And Yeah, definitely, there’s a lot of darker themes, and my characters face bigotry and hatred and stuff like that. Yeah, I think a lot of my work is really campy and just has that sensibility to them in terms of aesthetics, music, and I guess, jokes as well.

FF: Are you exploring new things in SATRANIC PANIC that we haven’t seen from you before?
AMM: I think although there’s definitely some overlapping themes throughout all my works, SATRANIC PANIC is very much different from the others in terms of focusing on grief and how that plays out for anyone, but also within the trans community. And also how the two leads are both different in their transitions and gender expressions, but ultimately ‘found family’, working together, and their love for each other is how they overcome the villain at the end. 

FF: What does your new film Satranic Panic mean to you?
AMM: All of my films are deeply personal to me. Especially when working with no budgets and, you know, producing them in such short time frames; I wouldn’t make something if it didn’t feel close to my heart or something passionate I wanted to tell. 
In terms of this film specifically, I got to make it with one of my best friends, Cassie, who plays Aria and wrote the film with me as well: that was really special. And yeah, just portraying the ‘found family’ and closeness of two trans friends on screen, that felt really special too.

FF: Do you take inspiration from other directors or films when making yours?
AMM: I mean, John Waters, Gregg Araki, Kevin Smith, are like my ultimate filmmaking Idols. And specifically for this film as well, Robert Rodriguez‘s work, especially his work in the early 2000s, aesthetically, with that comic book style. And the way he utilises lo-fi digital VFX played a big part in that as well.

We thank Alice for her time and for giving us such insights into her work.
North American audiences can see it on VOD on Apple, Google, YouTube, Fandango at Home and through local cable providers.