Brendan Gabriel Murphy, a multi-award-winning filmmaker and co-founder of Altered State Entertainment, has been making a name for himself in the film industry with a series of critically acclaimed productions. With an impressive portfolio that includes international festival awards and global distribution deals, Murphy stands out as an innovative director—highlighted by his short film SWERVE and his feature debut #LUCKY NUMBER, starring Method Man and Tom Pelphrey. Most recently, Murphy directed the psychological thriller FLUXX, starring Tyrese Gibson and Shelley Hennig, set to premiere on May 30, 2025. Beyond his work in film, Murphy has also ventured into advertising campaigns for major brands and digital content productions, cementing his reputation as one of the most promising filmmakers of today.
The release of your new film, “Fluxx,” is generating a lot of anticipation. How was it for you to work on this psychological thriller, especially with such a talented cast like Tyrese Gibson and Shelley Hennig? What do you believe this film brings to the audience that’s new?
To be honest it’s been the most challenging project of my career but also the most rewarding. This was my first feature film that I co-wrote, Directed, Produced (I am now p.g.a) and Edited. Working with an actress as talented as Shelley is every Director’s dream. She is on another playing field and actually auditioned for the role. She plays numerous characters in the film and she knocked each one of them out of the park. She goes into each day, full throttle, giving a 150%. Our collaboration was incredible and she has become a very close friend. Any Director would be lucky to have her in their film. This was an extremely demanding role and she was up for the challenge. In one scene she plays both characters, acting opposite herself. The main character Vada and her British cockney doppelgänger Raven. We worked her to death on that scene and some people don’t even realize that’s her playing both roles. That’s how good she is. No ego and puts her entire soul into the work. As for Tyrese, we were very lucky to get him for this. He’s a blockbuster movie star and this is an indie. He was really impressed on how well the set was operating when he was there. This was a very different role for him and it’s great to see him play someone like Calvin. He took on the Talk Show Host persona with ease and had great suggestions that only benefited the scenes. His menacing moments are beyond badass. He has such a powerful, unique voice, so when he speaks you can’t help but be engaged by his presence. I’m a huge fan of his films and he & I had a great vibe on set. Would love to work with him again.
You have an impressive career, with awards at festivals and worldwide distribution deals. When you look back, what has been the most significant moment of your journey so far, and how has it shaped your approach as a filmmaker?
This is a great question. I came up writing & directing short films. These projects helped hone my skills and prepare me for the feature world. Finally you get into a festival, then you start wining them. All baby steps. Each project took on its own life and really helped me build my style. Style is everything as a Director (Danny Boyle told me this at one of his premieres). And I’ve been fortunate to work alongside my little brother Kieran as my Cinematographer through it all. We have a production company together, Altered State Entertainment, which is very on-brand for the kind of stories we want to tell. I financed most of my early short films myself with the money I was making as a professional television editor. I worked for Disney and many other studios & networks. This also saved me a fortune in the post production phase, since I was basically doing a majority of the post myself. But the most significant moment of my filmmaking journey came on “FLUXX”. We were filming in Oahu, Hawaii and one of our investors completely screwed us and didn’t come through with his end of the financing. This threw the production into chaos. Being an indie filmmaker I had to put in my entire salary and sell all of my assets to keep the film going and that still wasn’t enough to cover what was needed to finish the film and pay our debts. It was a make or break moment and having this happen to the production and everyone involved was detrimental. This is really where I learned how to be a producer. Through all the stress and anxiety we got through it and the saving grace was the birth of my son Rowan Patrick. Having my first child put everything into perspective for me. It wasn’t about my ego anymore. It was about surviving and providing for my family. My wife Cayley is an incredible woman and she was my rock through all of this. Many of my friends and new investors came through in a big way and we were able to get the movie back on track. We filmed the remaining days we owed here in Los Angeles. Now we are premiering in theaters limited theatrically on May 30th. It’s all very surreal, but you have to have a strong backbone to survive in this crazy industry. This was by far the most significant moment in my life & career thus far.
“Fluxx” is described as a psychological thriller with many layers. How did you and your team prepare to capture that intensity and complexity on screen? What challenges came up during production?
Yes, “FLUXX” is a psychological thriller with sub-genres (Horror, Sci-Fi, Action, Drama, ect) making it a very unique and eye-catching piece of filmmaking. There is so much style, so a lot of heavy planning had to go into the lighting and cinematography. This was needed so we could really capture these different genres in a way where you were instantly transported into a whole different reality. “FLUXX” was full of challenges. One being that we shot mostly nights. So you are facing crew fatigue and racing to get everything you need before the sun comes up. But losing the financing mid-production was by far the biggest challenge. But when you’re the Captain, you can’t let the ship sink. I’ve always finished everything I’ve ever started and now we are finally having our premiere on May 29th here in Los Angeles. Life sure has a very strange way of messing with you. But oddly enough, I wouldn’t change anything.
Your work has expanded across various types of content, from films to advertising campaigns. How do you manage the transition between different kinds of projects, and what do you learn from these experiences that you apply to your filmmaking?
Every single job is a learning experience with its own set of challenges. Although there a huge differences between a film and let’s say a promo or commercial, every project takes on its own life, and I treat them all the same. Work is work and you want each project to standout and still have your mark on it. You have to own it…because when it’s all said and done it’s still directed by me and I want it to be great.
On your resume, we have the success of “Swerve,” which won awards and signed distribution deals. In your opinion, what made this film stand out so much at festivals, and how did it influence your choices for future projects?
“SWERVE” was really the turning point for my career. It was a rather large production for a short film. We had techno cranes and simulated the aftermath of a brutal car crash. I also shutdown a piece of the freeway on the interstate 15. Sadly, the location we shot the diner scenes at is no longer there. It’s the same diner Tarantino & Clooney did a scene “From Dusk Till Dawn” in, so we were in good company. The film starred Juno Temple (Ted Lasso, Fargo), Chris Ashworth (The Wire) and my best-friend Shiloh Fernandez (Evil Dead, Red Riding Hood). I wrote it for both Shiloh & Juno. So I knew I was going to get their best. They are both insanely talented actors. I put Shiloh in the first short film he acted in ever, so getting to work with your best-friend is always a very special experience. Shiloh stars in my new film “FLUXX” as well. So it’s been a real full circle moment for us. “Swerve” went on to win 13 festival awards, got international & domestic distribution and really prepped me for the feature world. It has a very twilight zone, thriller-esque vibe to it and was a huge influence on “FLUXX”. I am still extremely proud of that film.
In “History’s Greatest Heists” and “UFO Witness,” you worked with more documentary-style content. How do you think this type of production helped expand your perspective on storytelling and directing? Was there any experience from these projects that impacted your cinematic style?
These docu-series demand a lot for a 1/10th of the budget of say a feature. But you want them to be just as good. Whether it’s bank heists or alien abductions, I treat every project as if I’m shooting a film. I want those moments to be the best they can be, so the challenge lies in how I can make an impact with less money, less time and very little resources. There is aways a creative solve for everything. You just need to put your brain to work. I am very proud of all the docuseries I had the pleasure to work on. Some I co-directed with my brother Kieran. Challenging yourself only helps you grow as an artist. It’s a powerful feeling when you see the footage and know you made something feel big with very little. I think a lot of that comes from my guerrilla filmmaking background when I was making shorts with no money and with friends. I will always have that gritty guerrilla filmmaking background and I only think that’s made me a much stronger director.
In your films and series like “The Tailor of Sin City” and “Blood Behind Us,” you’ve explored a variety of genres. When you think about the type of stories you want to tell in the future, is there any genre or theme you still want to explore but haven’t had the chance to yet?
My first feature, a very long time ago, was a comedy. Not by choice. I was having a very difficult time getting my thriller off the ground and this producer raised a million bucks to shoot a comedy script in New York (where I’m originally from) and I could not turn down the opportunity. That being said, I would never do a comedy again. No one could agree on what was actually funny and it made things extremely difficult in the production and post process. Not saying my films can’t have comedic elements in them. But doing a straight comedy has absolutely no interest to me. “BLOOD BEHIND US” my latest film that stars Tanner Beard (We Summon the Darkness), Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill), Jamie King (Sin City, White Chicks) and Michael Aaron Milligan (F1, Ozark) is by far the most different film I’ve ever done. It’s a modern day western of sorts. There is a war sequence that takes place during the Afghanistan war and lots of gun play and intense shootouts & explosions. We shot that film mostly in Texas and it was a blast. Getting to work alongside Michael Madsen was a dream come true. This is Tarantino’s guy and we built up a trust and friendship where we both brought the best out of one another. He’s absolutely incredible in the film. That will come out early next year. “FLUXX”has a horror sequence in it and that definitely peaked my interest in doing an entire horror feature. That will be coming true when I tackle my next film “NOCTURNAL” this summer. It’s a psychological horror that I co-wrote with my “FLUXX” writing partner Keyaunte Mayfield. After that, I would love to do a mid-level budget Sci-Fi feature. I’m a huge fan of the genre, but I would want to tackle something fresh and unique, since we humans are all basically living in a real-life science fiction film these days.
You already have a TV series in development and are preparing to film “Nocturnal,” a psychological thriller. How is the process of writing and directing for TV compared to film, and what do you hope to achieve with these new projects?
TV & Film are very different but also very similar. With television you have much more time to spend with the characters and flesh out story arcs, conflicts ect. You can also add new characters as the series progresses. I still prefer film over television but I have a huge respect for the TV series that are getting it right. My new psychological horror film “Nocturnal” will be the biggest budget I’ve dealt with to date and is going to be a very wild cinematic ride. I’ve always wanted to direct a horror film so this will be my first go at it. But unlike many slashers that are focused on the kills, this film will be mostly character driven. I want to tell a story where you can’t guess where the plot is going and every turn leads to a dark path that will catch the viewer off guard and scare the shit out of them. I’ve had a blast writing this script with my writing partner Keyuante Mayfield who I wrote “FLUXX” and “BLOOD BEHIND US” with. Each script comes with its set of challenges and writing isn’t for the faint of heart. There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing your ideas and words come to life when an actor speaks them. Then when it’s all said and done and you’re watching the film with an audience, you can finally sit and relax. I’m lying…you’re just onto the next crazy, stressful project with its own set of challenges and you’re back in the trenches going through the madness of it all, over & over again. All for the movies. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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