The Sam Sanders Show Nia DaCosta: Why is Real Life Scarier Than Horror Films?
Feb 13, 2026
Nia DaCosta, a film director who moves between horror and big-studio work, talks about her films Hedda and The Bone Temple. She explores why real life can feel scarier than movies. Conversations cover gore as emotional truth, moral complexity, set culture and representation, and how she balances brutality with care and craft.
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Gore Serves Emotional Truth
- Nia DaCosta thinks gore must match emotional stakes so brutality equals the beauty of humanism in the story.
- She uses visceral horror to make cruelty feel plausible and to contrast empathy-driven characters.
Balance Shock With Audience And Ratings
- Consider the audience, producers, and ratings when deciding how far to push disturbing content.
- Test reactions and edit toward pacing and commercial viability to avoid an NC-17 that limits reach.
Evil As A Chosen Response To Meaninglessness
- DaCosta defines evil primarily as a choice rooted in human attempts to find meaning.
- She links harmful dogmas to people seeking structure against existential meaninglessness.