by Writer-director Chad Ferrin has long explored the grim and grotesque, but his latest film, Dorothea, might be his most chilling yet. Inspired by the true story of Dorothea Puente—the seemingly sweet Sacramento landlady who murdered her tenants for profit—Ferrin transforms real-world horror into a tense, atmospheric descent into madness. Mixing true crime, psychological dread, and pitch-black humor, Dorothea captures the terror of evil hiding in plain sight. In the below interview Ferrin discusses everything from balancing fact and fiction, creating unease through character and tone, and reuniting with frequent collaborator Susan Priver to bring Puente’s monstrous humanity to the screen.
You can now stream Dorothea here.
How much of the film is drawn from documented facts versus creative interpretation?
I would say it’s about 70% accurate. Most details of what actually happened are covered with some artistic license to make it more cinematic here and there.
How did you approach building dread throughout Dorothea? Were you more interested in slow-burn psychological tension or visceral shock?
Making sure the film had a colorful warmth to it, much like the facade Dorothea Puente had in real life. At first glance, she would be the last person on earth that you would think to be a monster. When she fills a bottle of whiskey with poison and hands it to an unsuspecting tenant, the dread builds with each agonizing swallow.
What visual or sonic choices did you use to make the audience feel complicit or trapped in Dorothea’s world?
Taking time to get to know Dorothea and her victims was important to not only feel compassion for those that died, but also to put the audience into Dorothea’s mind to get the full experience.
Dorothea Puente is both a monster and a human being—how did you direct your lead, Susan Priver, to balance that contradiction?
After doing 7 films with Susan, she continues to impress me. Her talent is unmatched, and I just sit back and watch her light it up.
True crime horror has had a resurgence lately, from Dahmer to The Clovehitch Killer. Where do you think Dorothea fits within that lineage?
I feel Dorothea is unique, not only in style, but in telling the tale mostly through her perspective, it touches on numerous genres from noir, horror, dark comedy and true crime.
Do you see Dorothea Puente as part of a larger horror archetype—like the “kindly caretaker” turned predator—or as something uniquely American?
I think there are plenty of people across the world that have and could be poisoning someone for profit as we speak.
Did you storyboard the horror moments meticulously, or leave room for improvisation to keep them unpredictable?
On these budgets every aspect is unpredictable.
What horror filmmaking tricks or techniques did you rely on to keep viewers off balance?
I make films from the gut, if a story excites me, then I embrace it body and soul. I don’t rely on tricks per se, we make these films fast, cheap and do the best to make an entertaining film that sticks with you after the lights come up.
In your eyes, what makes real-world horror scarier than anything supernatural?
The fear that your neighbor could have a freezer full of bodies and that you or someone you love could be stuffed in there next.
