Exploring the Ironic Joy of “An Honest Mistake”

Halloween night has always been fertile ground for suspenseful storytelling, and director Devin G. Squire, alongside co-director Geneviev Kester, taps into that rich tradition with their short film An Honest Mistake. The film fuses the humor and horror of a classic slasher with a fresh take on the consequences of an “honest mistake.” In a recent interview, Squire shared insights into the film’s creation and its thematic depth.

Squire revealed that the idea for the film was sparked by personal experiences. “The idea was primarily formed from my own real-world experience with some of the very situations described in the film,” he said. “It led me to wonder, what is the worst that could occur with this situation?” His appreciation for the slasher genre played a pivotal role in shaping the project. “I’ve long since enjoyed the slasher genre and all of its campy nature, so I wanted to create a love letter and pay homage to many of the classic slashers I’m fond of.”

Halloween provided the perfect backdrop for this exploration, blending the tension of the holiday with the inherent irony of an “honest mistake.” Squire noted, “Given its premise, a Halloween slasher was simply the perfect and most fitting subgenre for it to exist in.”

The film walks a delicate tightrope between humor and horror, a balance that Squire and his team worked hard to achieve. “I’ve always found both humor and suspense with many of the classic slashers,” Squire explained. “We took inspiration from the typical tropes and subverted them. It was a delicate balance of getting the timing right for a scare, a punchline, and sometimes both.” The collaboration of others, he added, was key to striking that balance: “Other individuals’ insights and perspectives were a valuable component.”

Central to the story is Sylvia, whose carefree demeanor is tested by a moral and physical challenge. Squire described the character as someone audiences could relate to. “From the get-go, I knew Sylvia needed to be a character we could understand. Having her be a relatively carefree individual allowed her to face this unique moral challenge in a way that is both understandable while also providing the means to set up a joke.”

Deanna Hope, who portrays Sylvia, shared her perspective on the character’s arc: “I would hope audiences take away her ability to let things roll off her and adjust to what challenges come her way, not being afraid of how dark and scary real life can be.”

The film’s cinematography captures the eerie yet familiar atmosphere of Halloween, combining suspenseful and comedic elements. “Halloween is simply one of the most obvious and fitting times to set a slasher,” Squire said. He credited the team’s visual approach for blending the unsettling with the ordinary. “We developed a visual aesthetic that was both eerie while also seeming quite ordinary, without crazy nonsensical lighting setups.”

Director of Photography Marcos Bernal elaborated: “We tried to keep some shadows to enhance the suspense of the killer being anywhere. Then, as the humor starts, we flipped the lighting to a more high-key setup.”

The dynamic between Squire and co-director Geneviev Kester brought unique strengths to the project. “Geneviev has primarily been an actor who recently wanted to get into directing, whereas I’ve been a director who enjoys acting,” Squire explained. “Our dynamic allowed us to give insight to one another, which overall led to a better production and final product.”

The film’s clever premise hinges on mistaken identity, a concept that Squire and Kester worked hard to keep engaging and believable. “The biggest challenge was finding the right timing to keep things suspenseful while also landing a joke effectively,” Squire shared. He explained that relatable, real-world situations provided the foundation for the film’s comedic exaggerations.

With An Honest Mistake, Squire and his team have crafted a film that celebrates the slasher genre while offering a fresh, humorous twist. As Squire puts it, the project is both a homage to beloved classics and a testament to the power of storytelling to entertain and resonate in equal measure.

An Honest Mistake will be screening at the Utah International Film Festival on Wednesday January 10th at 9pm as part of the Dark Echoes block.