I have always felt that there are not enough movies in the fishing horror genre. It could potentially be the next big thing after the folk horror revival prompted by A24. Truthfully though, I’ve never actually said that before. Even more truthfully, even if it were the most popular subgenre of horror, I doubt I’d be all that knowledgeable about it.
You see, I’m not a fan of horror. I don’t like the jumpscares, the gruesome murders, the whole thing. Yuck. I know, I sound like an oxymoron without the oxy, but I do like some horror.
It just needs to have a very specific vibe of tension for me to enjoy it. For example, I love The Shining, Midsommar, and Friday the 13th for the same reasons. When it comes to gaming, Dredge is also on that list. More violent, gruesome, or shocking films like Saw and Final Destination don’t really appeal to me.
Scream and Get Out are not horror films in my opinion, they’re comedies, and both are great. I’ve steered clear of horror games as much as I’ve avoided the films, but I have a horror-obsessed wife who compromises with me on our movie selections. She doesn’t like games, so she doesn’t make me play horror games, but I still give them a try. However, Dredge was different.
I liked the fact that it was an indie with a realistic approach to jumpscares. An illustrative aesthetic, a Lovecraft connection, and fishing minigames made me try Dredge, and I was glad I did. It reinforced my preference for creepy, tense affairs, such as the creak of a fishing boat, sudden darkness, and the peril of reeling in fish before nightfall. An adaptation of Dredge should fit within these parameters.
The game’s intriguing narrative would translate well into a film, but I would also be happy if the writers wanted to tell a new story. The essential element of Dredge is the vibe it emanates. The lead character has an unusual appearance that perfectly matches the aura he exudes. I believe Willem Dafoe would be perfect for the role, given his ability to take character roles that interest him and his appearances in fishing-adjacent films.
His portrayal would instill the required creepy vibe and tension needed for the role. The only problem is, now I can’t get the idea of Willem Dafoe’s Dredge out of my head. It’s just burrowing deeper and deeper. Dredge needs to have creepy vibes, ramp up the tension, and cast Willem Dafoe.
