Filmed across February and March in Netley, the country park was the primary location for The Tormented.
The 84-minute film sees a widow and her friends travel to a sacred land, before horrific visions and living nightmares begin to torment the group with their pasts.
Written and directed by Isaac Lawrence, 25, an aspiring filmmaker from Southampton, the movie came about as the result of a trip to the pub with his producing partner and composer, Hayden Davey.
Isaac said: “I’d previously made some short-films, so an 84-minute feature seemed like a big stretch but after a few drinks the idea seemed more and more feasible.
“That was in January and then in February and March we filmed everything – with Royal Victoria Country Park taking up the majority of the shoot – with a few other scenes being shot at my house a few minutes away.”
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A self-confessed fan of the Silent Hill game series – which sees the main character lose their daughter in an eerie fictional town – Isaac set about using some of its influences for the story of his debut film.
He said: “I was heavily influenced by Silent Hill as well as various British horror films from the early and mid-noughties.
“The film cost around £1,500 to make and was largely self-funded with the help of a GoFundMe we set up.
“As a local filmmaker it was important for me to make the film close to home as well as premiering the completed work in the city.”
The Tormented premiered at the Harbour Lights Picturehouse in Ocean Village on Monday, August 19, which included the film’s cast and crew making a red carpet appearance.
Actress Sophie Karl featured in the film as ‘Molly’ – having previously picked up screen credits in Oscar winning film The Theory of Everything, and most recently SAS Rogue Heroes.
Speaking of her time filming The Tormented, she said: “It was an incredible experience with some fantastic people.
“I think it rained almost every day of filming, but it never dampened anyone’s spirits and it’s a great feeling to finally be able to see the film.”
The film’s cast comprise of actors largely from Hampshire, including Gemma Wilks, Neve Campbell Williams, and Kyle Jordan.
