Their connection grows as he guides her through the unfriendly terrains, but skepticism begins to creep in as her trust for him experiences a setback. 

The Occupant is written by Philip Michael Howe, Hugo Keijzer, Roelof Jan Minneboo, and Xia Tang. Directed by Hugo Keijzer, the film stars Balinska, Graham, Ifediora, and Delaney. 

The Driving Force Behind ‘The Occupant’

As reported by Cinemachords, when asked about his personal motivations behind the film, Keijzer said, “With The Occupant, I set out to construct a narrative that addresses a difficult and deeply personal theme, wrapped within the genre conventions of a sci-fi thriller. At its core, this is the story of a young person’s journey toward accepting the inevitable death of her sister whom she loves more than anything in her life…This could have made for a compelling kitchen sink drama, but because of the specific nature of Abby’s character and my desire to make this story accessible to a wider audience, her journey take us on a physical rollercoaster ride through uninhabitable terrain, to the brink of death, and down a dark place where she’s offered the most difficult choice of her life.”

Get Ready

According to Cinemachords, “The Occupant is the culmination of more than seven years of work,” Keijzer explained. “We developed the story through pitches at festivals (Sitges, Bifan), created a short film prologue (which garnered millions of online fans), and received valuable input from the Netherlands Film Fund to strike the right balance between drama and genre.” 

The Occupant will be available in theaters on August 8.