Markian Tarasiuk – Hunting Matthew Nichols

By starrymag | October 28, 2024

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for Hunting Matthew Nichols. 

 

A) I describe Hunting Matthew Nichols as a prestige true-crime documentary with horror elements that takes place on Vancouver Island in Canada. Our official synopsis is: “Twenty-three years after her brother mysteriously disappeared, a documentary filmmaker sets out to solve his missing person’s case. But when a disturbing piece of evidence is revealed, she comes to believe that her brother might still be alive.”

 

Q) This is sort of a mockumentary. Where did the idea for it come from?

 

A) The idea came from years ago when I was watching a Netflix true-crime doc that had a pretty insane premise to it. During my watching (I’m a huge fan of true-crime docs), I started Googling the details of the case and very quickly discovered that a lot of the details were somewhat fabricated and the interviewee’s words were edited and taken out of context or heavily edited to fit the filmmakers preferred narrative. Basically, this documentary hyped itself up to be more exciting and provocative than what the reality was. This discovery took me aback because if I didn’t look it up, I would have considered the presented information as fact. The documentary was well produced, seemed legit and felt so convincing. I was duped. So, then a light bulb went off in my head: what if I created a Netflix-style true-crime documentary from the ground up? Then, what’s the most exciting ending possible to a documentary? Your imagination runs wild with that question. So, that’s what I created. I based our narrative around some of my favorite doc series like Murder on Middle Beach, Making a Murderer, and The Jinx. So, using those influences as a starting point, I created Hunting Matthew Nichols.

 

Q) Tara’s story is very convincing. What made you cast everyone as “themselves” in this?

 

A) To blur the lines of reality as much as I can. There is a lot of truth within our movie, and I wanted that truth to play against my audience. It’s a psychological trick that hopefully everyone will enjoy. I want to keep viewers on their toes at all times asking themselves: “Wait, is this real?” and hopefully Googling the Matthew Nichols case while they’re watching to engage them on a different level during the viewing experience.

 

Q) Often teenagers going missing are chalked up to running away. What makes this an unlikely idea for Matthew and his friend Jordan?

 

A) I think it comes down to personalities and whether it would make sense for Matthew and Jordan to run away. It’s unlikely. Many famous missing persons cases simply don’t make sense and that’s why the public is so intrigued by them. That necessary search for answers drives our narrative forward.

 

Q) Where did the idea for the legend that Jordan and Matthew are searching for originate?

 

A) When I was a kid, there was this legend at my summer camp about this character of “Crazy Pete.” It was this guy who lived in the woods near the camp that brandished a rusty knife that would kill campers. I was terrified of Crazy Pete. But there was no basis in reality for this malicious character. It was made up. It was just that…a legend. But it fascinated and terrified all of us campers all the same. Talking to other people, I discovered this archetype of a monster in the woods is universal. So, we created this vague mythical character that audiences could hopefully identify with. We touch on the universal nature of forest legends in the documentary – every part of the world has a different version of this character and I find that super interesting. We tap into a lot of universal themes in this movie, to connect with audiences on a personal level. Not many movies in this genre do that and that’s what separates Hunting Matthew Nichols from the rest of the market.

 

Q) What was something that came up during shooting that surprised you – whether it was with shooting at a particular location or bringing a certain scene to screen?

 

A) The process was incredibly collaborative. I encouraged every cast and crew member to challenge the story that we were crafting. I am not kidding when I say that every level of the team offered suggestions and poked holes in our narrative. That was surprising – the level of investment from everyone involved.  Since I was striving for raw truth and reality, we would change many of the scenes on the day to ensure all character motivations and dialogue felt natural. A lot of the dialogue in the movie is improvised and that creates a level of truth I don’t think you see in a lot of movies. I wanted my actors to feel like it was themselves speaking at all times. That’s why this movie feels so real on a molecular level. Audiences are smart and can smell bullshit from a mile away, so it was my job to make that scent the least pungent it could be. 

 

Q) There are so many startling and thrilling scenes to watch. Which scenes were you most proud of how they came out from script to screen?

 

A) The ending. Audiences will know what I’m talking about when they see it.

 

Q) What do you think it is about this movie that will make it a must see spooky season watch?

 

A) It’s something you can watch in a theater or at home and enjoy those experiences equally for different reasons. It’s cinematic enough that you may want to want to watch it on the big screen but intimate enough to be casually ingested in your living room or on a laptop in bed. Every week there seems to be a new true-crime documentary in the Netflix Top Ten – so this kind of movie hits the current audience trend. It’s so accessible to fans of different genres as the movie morphs throughout, taking you on an unforgettable ride. To me, it’s the perfect movie to turn on with your significant other during spooky season and chow down some popcorn. But, hopefully, you have some trouble sleeping after.

 

Q) The film has been starting the film festival circuit. What kind of fan feedback have you been receiving to Hunting Matthew Nichols?

 

A) Honestly? All over the place. It’s different, that’s for sure, and not everyone is into the magic trick I’m trying to pull off. But, generally, when people understand and recognize what this movie is trying to do, they are really into it. Programmers have invited us to their festivals and I’m so thankful they’ve given this movie a platform to be introduced to audiences. I think people are confused and curious about the movie… and that’s the right mindset for anyone to enter the experience of Hunting Matthew Nichols Be curious. Embrace confusion. What is real these days anyway? 

 

Q) What are the other projects that you have been busy working on – either as an actor or director?

 

A) I have a few other projects in development with my company Dropshock Pictures that are in the same vein as Hunting Matthew Nichols. I think the format we present in this film can be done again in a lot of different and exciting ways, so we are trying to develop more narratives in this genre space. I also have another script that is a Hallmark-style Romance/Horror that is currently making its rounds. With all my experience in the Hallmark space, I feel like I can create another high-quality genre-bending movie that subverts audience expectations. I love creating and witnessing art that surprises people.

As an actor, I am heading off to South America next month to film a movie and in the new year there are a few other projects that look like they will be green-lit. So, look out for that! Follow me on insta @marktaras for all my updates.

 

Q) What would you like to say to fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

 

A) I’ll always start with: thank you. I only get to do what I do because there are people out there who want to see my work. I have a small fan base, but they are loyal and so supportive. This movie represents a turning point in my career as I start creating movies instead of just being an actor, so I hope my supporters come along for what promises to be a fun ride of creativity. I want to create – that’s why I got into this business in the first place. Now, hopefully, people will see more of my taste and personality come to the forefront with these projects and be into what I’m doing. My career is always morphing and changing and that’s exciting as an artist.