Strange Factories

Strange Factories is a 2013 British experimental horror film written, directed by John Harrigan and produced by the British immersive theatre and production collective FoolishPeople. The film is an example of interactive cinema, featuring a mixture of film and live performance.^[1] It centers on a writer, who travels through a mysterious landscape filled with cultists, hallucinatory visions, and a mysterious factory that emanates a strange humming sound.

Strange Factories
Official Strange Factories film poster
Directed by	John Harrigan
Written by	John Harrigan
Produced by	John Harrigan Lucy Harrigan Tereza Kamenicka
Starring	John Harrigan Annalisa Astarita Rachael Blyth
Cinematography	Yiannis Katsaris
Edited by	Bettina Fung
Music by	Stephen Baysted
Production company	FoolishPeople
Distributed by	FoolishPeople
Release date	26 October 2013 (2013-10-26)
Running time	132 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

A tormented writer named Victor journeys through a mysterious, dream-like landscape in search of a group of performers from a theater that mysteriously burned down. As he continues through the landscape, he begins to uncover a bizarre cult under the hallucinatory influence of a nearby factory, and a sinister pact he once made with its owner. All the while he is tormented by visions and a strange humming sound that emanates from the factory.

Cast

• John Harrigan as Victor
• Annalisa Astarita as Hettie
• Rachael Blyth as Emma
• Tereza Kamenicka as Lady Thayn
• David Monard as Sam
• Claire Louise Oliver as Jessica
• Lucy Harrigan as Rose
• Claire Tregellas as Jess
• Mark Postgate as Arlec
• Xanadu Xero as Marina

Reception

Ain't It Cool News gave the film a positive review, writing, "Strange Factories may not be for the more literal-minded of horror fans. But fans of the theatrical side of performances, the technical side of writing, and the appreciators of the surreal and offbeat will find a lot of things to appreciate."^[2] Sarah Stewart from The Londonist praised the film's atmosphere, suspense, and innovative blending of celluloid and live-action performance.^[3] Rachel Simm from The Latest Brighton gave the film three out of five stars, praising the film's atmosphere, and suspense, calling it "eerie, unsettling and somewhat puzzling".^[1]