Filmmaker Chris Messineo presents his latest work as director and producer, The Strange Dark, at the 2025 Julien Dubuque International Film Festival. This dark comedy centers around Edgar, a man who claims to predict the future, though his family sees him as merely eccentric—until mysterious agents enter the picture, raising questions about what’s real and what’s delusion. With sharp humor and mounting suspense, the film promises to surprise festival audiences.
The Strange Dark mixes dark comedy with a touch of mystery. How did the idea come about to create a character like Edgar, who sees the future but isn’t taken seriously?
The initial idea for this story came to me twelve years ago; if you told your spouse something crazy (you can see the future and they are in danger), would they actually believe you? I think most people wouldn’t, and there-in lies the central conflict. Add to that the story of this family who love each other, but are a little broken, and you have the recipe for a hell of an evening.
The line between the absurd and the profound is thin. How did you find the right balance for humor and tension to work together?
Balancing tone is hard. I love movies that can mix genres: sci-fi, thriller, horror, drama, and comedy all thrown together. I think once you have your story and characters in place, you try to be honest about what they’re feeling and what they would do and then you let the moments of humor or tension come naturally.
Producing and directing a film require complementary visions. How do you reconcile these two roles without losing creative focus?
Honestly, being a director and a producer at the same time is kind of miserable. One part of your brain is trying to make the most creative film you can and the other part is constantly trying to spend as little as you can while doing it. As an example, we might be scheduled to finish shooting at midnight, and my director brain wants to do some more takes, but my producer brain knows this will cost us overtime. What do you do? These kinds of decisions would happen multiple times every day. In the end, I did my best to reconcile the two, but it’s definitely more fun being the director.
The Julien Dubuque IFF celebrates independent and author-driven cinema. What do you value most about being in this space with The Strange Dark?
Julien Dubuque has a tremendous reputation. As an independent film with a unique voice (and no stars), you try to seek out festivals that are interested in compelling stories. We couldn’t be happier to be here amongst these other amazing films, many of which I’ve become familiar with and admired on the festival circuit.
Edgar has a unique view of the world—and as a creator, you must also have one. At what moments did you most identify with your protagonist?
I love Edgar and there are definitely elements of me within him (we are both strange – in a good way). But, I actually think of Susan, Edgar’s wife, as our protagonist. She is us – the audience for the film. She has this insane evening thrust upon her and, without giving too much away, she ultimately has to find a way for her and her family to survive. Making a film is a crazy endeavor, and like Susan, I too had to find a way to make it all turn out okay in the end.
What do you most hope for in the audience’s reaction when they are introduced to this strange and dark universe?
I want the audience to go on a twisty ride, filled with surprises, that has them putting all the puzzle pieces together. I want them to fall in love with this family (and maybe even the villains too). Mostly though, I want them to have fun. After all, life is an adventure.