Richard Hunter's feature film “Foul Evil Deeds” is one of the more European-style British first features, drawing inspiration from continental art house directors rather than the more common figures of British social realism such as Ken Loach and Mike Leigh.

It weaves together stories of everyday wrongdoing, ranging from the careless to the horrific: “The influences are people like Ulrich Seidel and Michael Haneke, who are huge influences, Roy Andersson is a major one, and I've also looked at them all peripherally,” Hunter shared with Variety .

“The early Ruben Östlund as well. The Britishness, inherently, obviously comes out through me.”

Hunter's journey into filmmaking began in the realm of advertising. “My university studies involved documentaries, which led me to music videos, and from there, into commercials. It was in this world that I discovered my niche. I looked to those who had made similar transitions, like Michel Gondry, Chris Cunningham, and Spike Jonze, and found myself drawn to that path.”

The stories woven into the film drew inspiration from real life. “Each one is rooted in a genuine event, something that actually happened and was then adapted into what you see on screen.”

This approach also allowed for a less structured narrative: “I've always been captivated by those fragmented anthologies and ensemble casts, like “Short Cuts,” or, if you're looking for films with no clear interconnectivity, then Roy Andersson or “71 Fragments” by Haneke. That style allows you to prioritize character behavior over plot, while still maintaining a central theme. It's not a free-for-all where anything goes. These acts, rooted in the human condition, range from the mundane, like not picking up dog poo, to the extreme, like killing your wife, and everything in between. The ‘foul’ and the ‘deeds’ offer a lightness to the ‘evil.’ There's a playful element, but also a sense of darkness.”

Filming took a year, with the individual vignettes shot separately and the editing process happening concurrently. “It was almost a luxury,” Hunter notes. “Everything was shot on mini-DV, using a 1993 video camera, and then upscaled to DCP. This creates a subconscious home-video aesthetic that enhances the voyeuristic feel of the objective camera.

“It was an interesting concept to take that handheld aesthetic, which is typically shaky and unsteady, and lock it down. Regarding the visuals, I wanted a sense of inevitability, as if these events are always happening, and the camera is simply a small window showing you these particular moments,” he added.

This creates a sense of distance between the viewer and the events. “My intention was to present these moments objectively, whether it's carrying groceries from the car to the door, or transporting your deceased wife from the car to a lake. It's all the same. It's all happening, and it's simply information for us; almost like a neutral documentation. There's no judgment. I could showcase these ordinary, everyday moments alongside something that was clearly going somewhere.”

Hunter specifically gives credit to his casting director Ilenka Jelowicki and editor Matthew J Brady: “They were the key players in the production.” The film is a Wayes Production and the producer is Federica Schiavello. This is her first feature and a sales agent has yet to be connected.

Richard Hunter sees his next project as being associated with “Foul Evil Deeds”: “I have numerous scripts in the drawer, but the next two that I want to do are a continuation.”