Director Martin Owen Talks The Loneliest Boy in the World, Working with this Star-Studded Cast, and More

Director Martin Owen is at the helm of the must-see new film, The Loneliest Boy in the World.

When the sheltered and unsocialized Oliver (Max Harwood) is tasked with making new friends after the sudden and devastating death of his mother, he decides that digging a few up (literally) might be his best bet. However, when he awakens the morning after his excavating escapades, he discovers that his newly acquired friends have mysteriously come to life overnight, launching them all into a series of misadventures as they try to keep their secret safe from neighbors, classmates, and social workers alike.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Martin about The Loneliest Boy in the World, collaborating with his lead actors Max and Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and more!

PC: Tell us about The Loneliest Boy in the World and how you came across the script.
Martin: We were given the script by Piers Ashworth, the writer. I read it as a director and Matt’s producer read it and we fell in love with it straight away. It was right in the wheelhouse of things that I enjoy. The film was actually originally written in the ’80s. Piers wrote it with Brad Wyman and Emilio Estevez. The script was optioned and developed for the better part of 40 years, but it never got made. It almost got made a few times. From my perspective, it was great to see the movie finally be made, but there was added pressure to do these guys and their story justice.

PC: This film feels like a love letter to classic ’80s films while also bringing something very unique. How were you able to toe that line and where did you draw inspiration from as you brought this story to life from the page to screen?
Martin: Good question. I was very aware from the start that like a lot of ’80s movies this film crosses genres, which is becoming less and less common these days. Everything feels more genre-specific. I knew that was always going to be a challenge because there’s comedy, drama, horror, and fantasy. There’s a bit of everything in there, which I think we definitely associate with movies from the late ’80s/early ’90s. My approach was to try to do the story justice and not forget that, even though we’re surrounded by all these crazy elements, the story is about a young man who is dealing with grief. I kept going back to that and tried to focus on that because everything else that surrounds it is packaging. But ultimately, it’s a different way of telling the story of how somebody who is isolated deals with their passion for their mother.

PC: Not only are you blending all these different genres together, it’s visually stunning. Is there a particular scene or sequence that you’re really excited for the audience to see when it drops?
Martin: I really like the first time that Oliver goes to the graveyard. So, when he makes the decision. I like that sequence a lot. I also like when he goes back the second time and he speaks to Hero, who’s just motionless in the chair. He says to him, “I really got to do this Mitch.” I really enjoyed that whole sequence.

PC: You actually started your career off as an actor. What has that transition been like going from being in front of the camera to behind it?
Martin: Good question. I basically know what people shouldn’t do in front of the camera. That would be my answer to that. [laughs] Me being at the front of the camera just kind of happened. My aspirations were always to be behind the camera. I think it helps me understand the process and the challenges that the actors face. A few weeks ago, I just wrapped on a film that I produced. Producing has given me a different perspective as well. Every time you try a new role, you gain more understanding.

PC: You also make a little cameo yourself in the film. How did that come to fruition?
Martin: [laughs] I like doing that stuff. It’s funny, I didn’t really look like me. I remember I sent a picture to my mother and she was like, “Why are you sending me a picture of this guy?” I was like, “It’s me.” [laughs] It didn’t look like me, but I think that’s always fun. But the funny thing about doing the scene was that Hero was pretending to be dead on the sofa. The whole time, Hero was like, “This is ridiculous, Martin.” We were all laughing the whole time because the entire sequence is ridiculous, but it was fun. I enjoyed it.

PC: Reviews for the film are slowly coming out now. It’s been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences? What do you hope they take away?
Martin: I hope that they enjoy the film and go on the journey. I hope they laugh in the right places, cry in the right places, and are engaged in the right places. It’s a simple lesson: don’t judge someone just because they’re different. You don’t know what’s going on in their life behind closed doors. I think a lot of us are guilty of having done that at some point in our lives.

PC: There are so many universal themes that this story touches upon. Why do you think this comedy/horror genre lends itself to this type of storytelling?
Martin: I think because you can tell a story in this genre exactly as you want to tell it—unashamedly, unbiasedly, and nonjudgmentally. You have complete freedom if you like being able to do whatever you want and push it in different directions. Without horror, I don’t think I would have been able to make a movie that crosses genres. It’s in the horror world, but it’s very much grounded. I couldn’t have made this movie as a drama. It was only really this world and these genres where audiences would go into the film with an open mind and open heart.

We did a screening here in the UK last week. Max, Ben Miller, and I were there. It was so nice because so much of the audience stayed behind and said to us, “I didn’t know what I was expecting. I don’t normally like horror, comedy, or things that cross genres.” But across the board, they all really embraced it and liked it, and it spoke to them. With these genres, audiences empathize with the characters and give them a chance. That’s the main thing that we hope will resonate. I hope that horror fans and genre fans will embrace the movie.

PC: Hero and Max both sang your praise about how you were able to create this collaborative environment. How did you build the trust with your actors so that they could take agency over their characters?
Martin: It’s nothing that I do or did. We were very fortunate to get very, very talented actors who could all toe the line of comedy and drama really well in a genre film, which isn’t easy. Secondly, they were all really, really easy to work with and super collaborative, and they really cared. That was the main thing. They all really, really cared about what they were doing. My job was the easiest. I wasn’t sat in makeup for hours and hours a day. I turned up, had my breakfast, and walked in. Hero sat in the chair for four hours.

PC: Besides this film, where can fans see you next?
Martin: I produced a film which I can’t talk about because it hasn’t been press-released yet. That was a genre more. It’s a really, really dark psychological genre movie. The director did an amazing job, and again we had an amazing cast. Then I’m directing a comedy in January. Hopefully it’s funny. [laughs]

The Loneliest Boy in the World is out now in select theaters and wherever you stream movies on October 18th.