I’ve been reading about how Alex Garland (the director of Ex Machina and Annihilation) is apparently a huge Dark Souls fan. I’m curious about what specifically draws him to these games. Does anyone know what he’s said about why he enjoys the Dark Souls series so much? I’m wondering if there are any interviews or articles where he talks about his love for these games. As someone who’s also into both his movies and the Souls games, I’d love to understand what connections he sees between his filmmaking and FromSoftware’s approach to storytelling and atmosphere. Has he mentioned how these games might have influenced his creative work?
He really likes how Dark Souls uses environmental storytelling. The game tells its stories through the world and atmosphere, which fits his visual style well.
It makes sense for a director who loves building tension to be into those games. Dark Souls creates that same slow-burn anxiety that you see in his films.
I think it’s the whole mysterious vibe that gets him. Both his films and Dark Souls leave you piecing things together instead of spoon-feeding everything. You watch Annihilation or play Dark Souls and you’re constantly wondering what the hell is actually going on, but in a good way. That kind of storytelling where the audience has to work for it seems right up his alley.
Probably likes the whole dying repeatedly thing too. Perfect match for someone who makes movies that mess with your head.