{"id":40258,"date":"2025-10-20T11:00:34","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T18:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/behindthelensonline.net\/site\/?p=40258"},"modified":"2025-10-19T21:41:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T04:41:36","slug":"btl-radio-show-10-20-2025-with-special-guests-brandon-slagle-talking-affinity-and-neil-marshall-discussing-compulsion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/behindthelensonline.net\/site\/miscellaneous\/behind-the-lens-podcast\/btl-radio-show-10-20-2025-with-special-guests-brandon-slagle-talking-affinity-and-neil-marshall-discussing-compulsion\/","title":{"rendered":"BTL Radio Show – 10\/20\/2025 with special guests BRANDON SLAGLE talking AFFINITY and NEIL MARSHALL discussing COMPULSION"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A terrific BEHING THE LENS for you this week as you\u2019re about to hear from two directors whose work I am a huge admirer of and have been for years, both of whom I love chatting with, and each with a new film out – NEIL MARSHALL joins me to discuss his new psychological erotic thriller COMPULSON, while BRANDON SLAGLE is back with me for the 5th or 6th time talking about his latest, the powerhouse martial arts-action-sci-fi film AFFINITY.<\/p>\n

But first, we\u2019ve got director BRANDON SLAGLE discussing his latest film, AFFINITY. I always love chatting with Brandon, and as he correctly remembered and reminded me, our interview for \u201cFrost<\/strong><\/a>\u201d was more than 90 minutes long. Sadly, the publicist for this interview didn\u2019t schedule us with nearly enough time, but Brandon and I always work with what we\u2019ve got! Since then, we\u2019ve chatted about \u201cThe Flood\u201d, \u201cBreakout\u201d, \u201cBattle for Saipan\u201d, and more. But what excites me today is that we\u2019re talking about AFFINITY, which pushes Brandon\u2019s skills into a genre blend, showing us a completely different and wonderful side of his talents.<\/p>\n

Set and shot in Bangkok, Thailand, AFFINITY stars Chilean martial-arts star Marko Zaror as Bruno, an ex-SEAL struggling with PTSD. He lives a life in fear of his demons until one day, when he discovers a beautiful woman named Athena with no past of her own. Together they begin to build a life, but when she disappears, Bruno must return to his violent past if he\u2019s going to save her from a shocking conspiracy.<\/p>\n

Directed by Brandon and written by Gina Aguad, Christopher M. Don, Liam O’Neil, and Marko Zaror, with the story by Marko, AFFINITY stars Marko Zaror, Louis Mandylor, Brooke Ence, and Jane Murro. And I must add that telling this story has been a passion project of Marko\u2019s for years.<\/p>\n

As to be expected in a Brandon Slagle film, the action is fast-paced, intense, and riveting, but what makes this film differ from Brandon\u2019s prior works is this action-sci-fi genre blend which is something Marko is passionate about, and the emotional poignancy of the story, not to mention a superb use of color and vibrancy in the film\u2019s visual tonal bandwidth.<\/p>\n

As we dive into AFFINITY, we explore the visual grammar and Brandon\u2019s work with his cinematographer Niccolo de la Fere, who is always fantastic with lighting and lensing. Some of you may recognize Nico\u2019s name as he was also DP on Christian Sesma<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s shark film INTO THE DEEP, which Christian and I discussed, as well as editor Ernesto Diaz Espinoza<\/strong><\/a>, who directed and edited the action-packed martial arts film DIABLO starring Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror, for which Ernesto and I had a wonderful in-depth chat.<\/p>\n

For AFFINITY, Brandon explained that in designing the visual grammar and color palette, he and Nicolo wanted to present Bangkok not just as a stand-in for another city, but to authentically show its diverse facets\u2014from working-class neighborhoods to extreme wealth. The color tones and visual style were intentionally crafted to set the mood and, importantly, to place the film slightly “out of time,” as if set in the near future. The palette and camera work reinforce both emotional beats and the narrative, with the collaboration between Brandon and Niccolo focusing on making the visuals integral to the storytelling and atmosphere.<\/p>\n

An interesting aspect of this conversation revolves around the use of science fiction as a lens to explore deep philosophical questions, such as the nature of self-identity, the impact of memory and experience, and what fundamentally makes someone who they are. You\u2019ll hear Brandon mention motifs like \u201cwhat makes you, you?\u201d and consider whether it\u2019s the body, the soul, or lived experience that defines a person. By placing characters in situations with sci-fi overtones\u2014such as experiencing someone’s whole life in a single room or contemplating the consequences of altering past events\u2014the film explores these themes in a way typical action films do not. This philosophical approach is woven into the narrative through both story twists and the emotional journeys of the characters, creating a unique blend of genre and introspection.<\/p>\n

As you\u2019ll hear Brandon discuss, editing is so important to him in his films, and having Ernesto on AFFINITY was key to the editing process. We also dive into the emotional dynamic between the characters of Bruno and Athena, which really showcases a previously unseen depth in Zaror\u2019s acting. And how about some lighter, even comedic moments from Louis Mandylor, something we\u2019ve not seen in his collaborations with Brandon.<\/p>\n

A film with a unique visual style, emotional depth, and some very unexpected twists, listen as director BRANDON SLAGLE talks about it all!<\/p>\n

AFFINITY is available now on the usual streaming channels.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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