Yeah, but those films were unique to begin with. It's still a far cry from The Lord of the Rings (2 ). If people's perception of me is that I'm nothing like Frank, then the challenge as an actor is to convince them that I am. But really, I'm not out to shock or surprise. You realise you run the risk of shocking the fan-base? But I think we've made something more elevated than a straightforward slasher movie. It's dark material and it's obviously a very intense experience. It doesn't feel irresponsible, because I think we understand how disturbed he is and how he really doesn't want to be that person himself. Yes, but I think this film is playing with that concept. They invite the viewer to get off on the same things the killer is getting off on.

Many people hate slasher movies because they rely on the psychopathic male gaze. So I was there the whole time, dancing around behind the camera, leaning forward to put my hand in the frame.

At first, we thought we'd use a body double. We approached the point-of-view thing with a certain naivety.

It made me wonder if you were only on set for about three days in total. Maxime was effectively the character as well as me, and the rest of Frank had to be created locally through his inner monologue, which I recorded on an audio stage afterwards. The idea alone was good enough for me: 'You play the killer in a movie, but you're only seen in reflection.' The whole film is primarily shown from the character's perspective, so 70% of the process involved working with the director of photography. To quote Frankie in the film: 'Why did you do it? Why?' (1 )

Actor who played frodo