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Colin Krawchuk on Jester 2 | What’s Kraken Interview
0 Playsin 7 hours
Jo sits down with Colin Krawchuk, director of Jester 2—the best horror movie of the year (Jo's words, not just hype). From its humble beginnings as a Halloween short film to a full-blown feature with indie grit and real emotional pull, Colin breaks down how Jester 2 became a must-see slasher with a soul.
🎟️ Catch Jester 2 in theaters nationwide September 15 & 16 —https://hubs.la/Q03xX7Wj0
🧨 KEY MOMENTS
Since these are all from the transcript, feel free to timestamp later:
- Jo's intro love-fest – Jo declares Jester 2 the best horror film he’s seen all year (and he means it)
- Short film to feature leap – Colin shares how a Halloween side project exploded into a feature backed by Epic
- Casting Max – Why the lead role made or broke the film, and how Kaitlyn Trentham nailed it beyond belief
- The Jester’s moral code – Colin breaks down how the villain isn't just scary—he's got layers and logic
- Max & Jester’s relationship – Inspired by Collateral, the push-pull dynamic gives the movie real emotional weight
- Advice to younger self – Never stop growing, never get complacent—Colin on constant learning and backyard filmmaking
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Transcript
Intro
00:00:07
Speaker
Hey everyone, Joe here. And sorry for the attire. I mean, Emily Dickinson is my gal, so who knows. But Tony Horton just kicked my butt up and down the theoretical court. I have to say, i have been talking up just or two for a while to the PR company because it's an embargo.
00:00:25
Speaker
It is the best horror movie I've seen this year, period, the end. And I've been talking it up so much that I think they just got tired of it. And so for my birthday, they hooked me up with an interview with the director.
00:00:38
Speaker
And it's one of those things where good things happen to good people. And it's an amazing experience. The movie is with an amazing director You've got to check out the interview. And after you check out the interview, check out Jester 2.
00:00:53
Speaker
It is coming. Here's a pitch. It's coming in the theaters September 15th and 16th. Coming nationwide. Go see it. You will be amazed. It is the best horror movie this year.
00:01:06
Speaker
The end. And now on with my show.
00:01:10
Speaker
everyone, Joe here today, and we've got none other than the director from the Jester two, Colin Krawchuk. Did I say your name correctly? You get a gold star, Joe.
00:01:21
Speaker
Yes, that is correct. I give myself that later on. Colin, I'm so glad to talk to you. I've watched a Jester two and I can't wait to get my review on it.
00:01:32
Speaker
All going say is amazing. Oh, thank you. From start to finish, you had me hooked. It is the perfect story. And I love how it's a sequel. And I didn't see Jester, but I felt everything was already there. Right?
00:01:48
Speaker
Yeah. So talk me through it. What was Jester the original? What was original Jester? The original Jester was the the original 2016 short film. That's the the very first iteration of the Jester.
00:02:01
Speaker
And because that did so well compared to all of our other short films, we were like, you know we've never done? A sequel. And then we made the sequel to the Jester, which is called the Jester Chapter Two.
00:02:14
Speaker
And we released that, I believe, the next year. And then it didn't matter what we put out after that. Everyone was just like, when's the next Jester coming out? So we kind of were like, whoops, what is this monster we have created now? Right.
00:02:30
Speaker
So we made a third one and we were like, that's it. That's it. No more. And everyone was like, great. So when's the next Jester chapter four coming out? So but they were we were moved on.
00:02:44
Speaker
And then you get the phone call that's like, Well, ah I would love to make a Jester feature with you. um if you I'm sure you've been wanting to make a Jester feature for a long time, and it's like, yes.
00:02:57
Speaker
Yes, it will. We had to lightning speed come up with a ah ah Jester feature having never written a feature film once before. Never even considered, especially the ah the Jester, who...
00:03:12
Speaker
was ah designed to be ah like an urban legend told and in short film format. So trying to expand that into a feature film with, with, yeah it was a, there was a lot of, of learning curves to navigate in that.
00:03:31
Speaker
But so this is your first feature for real. No, je the first jester feature was. This is just, just to, okay. Right, right, right, right. This is my second feature. Okay. Yeah. I will say this.
00:03:43
Speaker
yeah i will say this I see some real brilliance coming through all the studios, but yours had me floored. So this came from a short film all the way through to I guess, Epic saying, Hey, want to do a feature? Like who's going to say no. Right. And then creating this franchise now.
00:04:04
Speaker
Yeah. It's where did you get the idea of the Jester from the original idea? it was It was really, um we had made, i think it was two previous horror short films. We tried to make one every Halloween.
00:04:21
Speaker
And um they both were, like the first one was us trying to do horror for the first time. And I think it it was called Creep. And then the second one was us trying to do, ah it was a real, i would never do it now, but it was a really ambitious, ah we're going to do the one one long shot, short film.
00:04:40
Speaker
It was called On My Way. And um both of them, we had like masked guys running around like maniacs wielding ray items. And for the next year, when we were getting ready to make our Halloween movie,
00:04:55
Speaker
short we were like well i said i didn't want to do another one of those antagonists again it's like we've done is that all we're gonna do is guys in masks run around like maniacs so we did a guy in a mask again but this time he's not running around like a maniac and so that was the change that we made but it was just like let's do the opposite let's let's have somebody who um rather than being that that kind of antagonist, is somebody who projects like an intelligence and um is cool and calm and collected and three steps ahead.
00:05:26
Speaker
And what you see at the end of the first short film is also has his own moral code that we don't know what the moral code is, but he has one. And that alone was just interesting to me.
00:05:39
Speaker
I think you're hitting a lot on the head for Chester too, because when i'm watching this, one of the things that appealed to me, besides the great mask work, by the way, you've ever seen the poster.
00:05:50
Speaker
Jason Baker and his team ah made that matter. They're black incredible. Yeah, black phone. Jeez. So you see this great artwork, right? But it's the characters that draw you into it. A lot of people can have great looking movies, but there's nothing behind it. No one cares. Like no one cares someone dies or lives, who cares?
00:06:09
Speaker
But the gesture too, it sucks you into the character work. Like Max is identifiable. The gesture is identifiable. Like you identify part of this. yeah So how how important was it get the correct cast?
00:06:22
Speaker
Oh my God. It's, it's, it's, it can be, especially at this level where, right um, to put it sort of indelicately, I guess better beggars can't be choosers when it comes to a lot of things.
00:06:34
Speaker
So, um, you are hiring locally for a lot of your cast and Max on paper. i I loved Max, but I also understood it's like, you know, we're,
00:06:49
Speaker
we The movie's going to live or die by who whoever plays this character. Right. And Max is top priority to to cast in this. And I love the audition process. I want every audition that comes in to be the one. you know i And um when I saw hers, I was like...
00:07:08
Speaker
Is she she's not booked yet. Is she like can we and Caitlin was just like, yeah, was was was I have never seen a better audition, I think, in my life. i I just was was floored by the amount of emotion she was able to.
00:07:24
Speaker
She had three sides to read and every side after each one. I was like, well, that was the best side one. Oh, that was also the best side too. Please, please, please, please. And side three was like, this was the best.
00:07:37
Speaker
This was the best. to Call everybody. but just So so sir um so ah I couldn't, we, we got so lucky with her and I think she, I loved Max on paper, but once I saw her,
00:07:51
Speaker
interpret the words that just like... It becomes reality, right? And that's really important because if we are watching this movie and if we can connect to Max, it becomes easier to connect to the Jester because of the relationship they have.
00:08:06
Speaker
Without spoiling too much, that there's, you know, this called Jester 2, who knew? and right And when we see all these layers put in, it's not just a slasher film. It's not just a sleight of hand. It's not Halloween 2.
00:08:20
Speaker
Nothing against Halloween 2 or 3 or whatever it's going to be, right? This is going to be something you actually care about the antagonist. Yeah. That's a good point. It's weird, right?
00:08:32
Speaker
Yeah. and i was yeah Well, I will say um it brings me so much joy to this. that you You said you you're going to hold off on reviewing, but everything that you've said so far, I'm like, I'll take this as the review. This is all wonderful. But um my job is done here.
00:08:49
Speaker
the The relationship between Max and the Jester was was became the most important thing in the movie to me. um And ah ah many years ago, there was ah a short film. it was actually a Halloween fan film that we had made.
00:09:04
Speaker
I was like, and it became my goal starting with that film. It's like, I really want to make an effort to make likable characters. It's really easy in ah in a horror movie, especially one typically like this one where...
00:09:17
Speaker
you're just in it for the guts, man. You're just in it for the gore. You just want to see the jester do his jester thing and everyone else is just fodder. And it's like, well, I want to see if we can make people, like you said, care about as many people as as we can. Sure, there's going to be um the indulgent kills in the movie where you're like, yeah, we wanted to see that happen to that person. But...
00:09:39
Speaker
um Yeah, it's like i I don't want anybody to wish Max harm in this movie. you know i want I want them to be rooting for Max. But the ah the things that you're describing, ah feel like were born out of, I modeled the relationship on ah between Max and Jester on Max and Vincent in Collateral, ah Michael Mann's Collateral.
00:10:01
Speaker
And the thing that I love about their relationship is Yes, on the surface, they are enemies who are forced to work together. But throughout the course of the movie, you see these moments where maybe the things that Vincent is telling Max are truths that he needs to hear and couldn't have heard from somebody else in that moment. And um Vincent is just the person Max needs in his life right now.
00:10:24
Speaker
And there are, wanted those, I wanted to complicate things. i wanted to complicate the the jester and the relationship a little bit, you know, there's little moments here and there where you catch Max looking at the jester and it's like, maybe she's thinking, well, maybe it's not all bad, you know, maybe there's not. right And then he does something that completely proves the ah the opposite. So it's just like, i i love that yeah that push pull dynamic is was something that I tried to put as much into the movie as possible.
00:10:52
Speaker
Well, it works brilliant. And this is what I'm saying. It's a character-driven movie, which we all love, and it hooks us in. Now, I ask this of all of my guests. What was the one thing you wish you could tell younger? I mean, like, childhood you.
00:11:06
Speaker
If you can tell yourself one thing, what would it be?
00:11:09
Speaker
Oh, boy. So many things. But to do with movie making, right? Anything you want. ah Well, it would be um Keep learning.
00:11:21
Speaker
there Search, like seek as much as much information as possible, especially now. You know, now it's like there's there's no excuse now when information is so readily available to all of us.
00:11:34
Speaker
And so many self-made opportunities. you can I know it's it's been said to death, but you can go out in your backyard today with your phone and shoot a short film. and So it's it's ah I'm glad that I i did that.
00:11:50
Speaker
at some point, but um you've you've never stopped growing and and never never get complacent, I think. I love it. That's great advice. Never stop growing. And when you do see something, the Jets are coming to theaters. I love it.
00:12:07
Speaker
so September 15th and 16th nationwide. Boom. going to be there, yeah? Release? You have to be there. Release. ah be I'll be somewhere. You'll have to find me. Juster 2. Juster 2. I love it.
00:12:18
Speaker
Thank you so much. That's all the time we Thank you so much for coming. I wish you the best. I can't wait to see Juster 15. Kidding! Don't kill me. But Jester 2, you have to see it. It's the best story I've seen this year, honestly. oh wow. Movie hands down.
00:12:30
Speaker
Hands down. Best movie I've seen this year. Thank you. I don't know if I agree with you, but because I saw Weapons and Weapons is amazing. Oh, I review. Okay. Weapons is amazing. Not a horror movie.
00:12:42
Speaker
It was amazing movie. Not a horror movie. Okay. I think Jester gets a sweet spot. Thank you so much. On behalf of myself and Colin, bid you good day. bye everyone.