The Current Occupant
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"The Current Occupant" Into the Dark episode Episode no. Season 2
Episode 10Directed by Julius Ramsay Written by Alston Ramsay Produced by - Jason Blum
- John Hegeman
- Alston Ramsay
- Jeremy Gold
- Marci Wiseman
- Tevin Adelman
- Julius Ramsay
- Alexander Koehne
- Lauren Downey
Featured music Douglas Pipes Cinematography by Cory Geryak Editing by Thad Nurski Original air date July 17, 2020 Running time 89 minutes Guest appearance(s) - Barry Watson as Cameron
- Krondon as The Orderly
- Sonita Henry as Dr. Helen Saunders
- Lilli Birdsell as Helen
- Kate Cobb as Eliza
- Joshua Burge as The Emperor
- Ezra Buzzington as The Administrator
Search The Current Occupant on Amazon.
"The Current Occupant" is an episode of American horror anthology web television series Into the Dark that aired as the tenth episode of the show's second season. It was produced by Blumhouse and originally premiered in the United States on July 17, 2020, on Hulu. The episode was directed by Julius Ramsay from a script written by Alston Ramsay and stars Barry Watson, Marvin Jones III, Sonita Henry and Kate Cobb. The episode follows a man in a psychiatric ward who believes that he is the President of the United States and the subject of an elaborate political conspiracy.
Plot[edit]
In a flashback sequence, a crowd panics at a political rally shooting and doctors struggle to save an unidentified man's life. It is unclear if this is a dream or a memory. A final shock of defibrillation paddles ends the sequence. Henry Cameron (Barry Watson) wakes up in a hospital room as a patient with amnesia. An unidentified Orderly (Marvin Jones III) takes him to a psychiatric session where Dr. Larson (Sonita Henry) offers him the opportunity to join a trial medical study that can help him recover his memories. Henry agrees and is taken to a dark chamber of computers. He's connected to a viewfinder and engages in a series of increasingly bizarre visual and audio tests with Dr. Larson.
That night Henry meets a nurse named Eliza (Kate Cobb) who knows his identity but refuses to divulge it. After his next session with Dr. Larson, he passes a hysterical woman in a straitjacket, (Lilli Birdsell), who claims to have seen him on TV. After Eliza confides the truth, Henry breaks into Dr. Larson’s office and finds his file, which is appears to be highly classified. Dr. Larson catches him and he confronts her and asks if he is really the President of the United States. When she does not respond, he demands to be released and is led to a shower room for de-lousing. Realizing that he's being committed to the psychiatric ward, Henry protests but is silenced when sprayed with a firehose.
Henry is forced to participate in group therapy with insane patients, including Helen, the woman in the straitjacket. She tells him that she is actually his Secretary of State. As Henry’s treatments escalate, he and Helen plot to escape. Late one night they break out of their bedroom and find an elevator that Helen claims will take them to the West Wing. Before they can escape, they are caught and sedated. After a strange dream sequence, Henry wakes up and sees the Administrator (Ezra Buzzington), whom he believes is really the Vice President. As part of his punishment, Henry is forced to play an electroshock contest with Dr. Larson, a hellish version of the Stanley Milgram experiment. When it’s over, Henry discovers that he was really shocking Helen and as a result that she is brain dead.
Later, Henry tries to suffocate Helen in order to put her out of her misery. The guards subdue him and lock him in a padded cell. Eliza appears and Henry realizes she is his wife. He cries tears of joy before the Orderly drags him to a room where the hospital staff show him proof that he has lost his mind and that his wife was killed at the political rally. Henry breaks down and agrees to the final treatment: an electro-lobotomization.
During his electrocution, Henry escapes and takes Dr. Larson hostage. Leading her to the elevator, he uses her handprint to unlock it and ascend to freedom. The doors open to the East Room of the White House. Henry sees a portrait of himself before he enters the Oval Office. The Administrator sits behind the Resolute desk and signs a proclamation returning Henry to power. Helen explains that this was all part of his treatment and the country needs him back. He sits down at the desk and reclaims the Presidency. Later, dressed in a suit, Henry delivers a speech to the nation. He sees his dead wife in the audience and the lights start to flicker. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the asylum elevator. The doors open to reveal the Orderly. He tells Henry they need to get him back to his room. He steps inside with Henry and the doors close.
Development[edit]
On May 13, 2020, it was announced that the tenth episode of season two of Into the Dark would have an Independence Day theme and was titled "The Current Occupant". The episode was written by Alston Ramsay and his brother Julius Ramsay was confirmed as the director. It was set to be released on July 17, 2020.[1]
Conception[edit]
Writer Alston Ramsay based the screenplay for "The Current Occupant" on his experiences working as a deputy chief speechwriter for the Pentagon under the Presidency of George W. Bush and the Presidency of Barack Obama.[2]
Casting[edit]
Simultaneously with the announcement of the episode title and creative team, it was confirmed that Barry Watson, Marvin Jones III, Sonita Henry, Lilli Birdsell, Kate Cobb, Ezra Buzzington, and Joshua Burge would star in the episode. [1]
Production[edit]
"The Current Occupant" was filmed in 16 days. Principal photography commenced on February 7, 2020 and concluded on March 7, 2020. The majority of scenes were filmed at an abandoned mental hospital in Pomona, California. Additional interior scenes replicating the Oval Office were filmed at the Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California.[3] Filming was completed two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended all film production in the United States. Post-production work on the film was completed remotely and the release was delayed two weeks.[4]
Release[edit]
On July 2, 2020, a trailer for the episode "The Current Occupant" was released.[5] On July 17, 2020, "The Current Occupant" was released on Hulu.[6]
Reception[edit]
The episode was met with a positive response from critics upon its premiere. In a positive review, The Wall Street Journal's John Anderson praised the episode saying ""The Current Occupant" executes a balancing act with considerable aplomb."[7] In a similarly favorable analysis, Decider's John Serba said, "“The Current Occupant" might be the most provocative episode of the Hulu/Blumhouse anthology series yet. It’s a politically charged satirical thriller written by Alston Ramsay, a former speechwriter for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama." [8] Daniel Kurland of Screen Rant wrote that "“The Current Occupant" is a mind-bending horror entry that plays with reality and will have audiences guessing until the end."[9]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 White, Peter. "Hulu's 'Into The Dark' Sets Barry Watson, Sonita Henry, Marvin Jones III & Lilli Birdsell Among Cast For Independence Day-Themed Installment Of Blumhouse's Horror Anthology". Deadline. Deadline. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ↑ Siegel, Tatiana. "'Into the Dark: The Current Occupant' Writer on "Insane" Trump and Life Imitating Art". The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ↑ Deese, Kaelan. "Latest 'Into the Dark' Hulu film depicts a presidential nightmare". The Hill. The Hill. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ↑ Million, Danielle. "DISCUSSING INTO THE DARK'S CURRENT OCCUPANT WITH WRITER ALSTON RAMSAY". Something Ghoulish. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ↑ Squires, John. "The President Ends Up in the Psych Ward in Hulu's "Into the Dark: The Current Occupant" [Trailer]". Bloody Disgusting. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ↑ Barta, Preston. "'CURRENT OCCUPANT' director ventures 'into the dark' corners of our mind in psychological thriller". Fresh Fiction. Fresh Fiction. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ↑ Anderson, John. "'Into the Dark: The Current Occupant' Review: A Curious Claim to the Oval Office". The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
- ↑ Serba, John. "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Into the Dark: Current Occupant' on Hulu, a Hyper-political Thriller About a Probably Insane President". Decider. Decider. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ↑ Kurland, Daniel. "Into The Dark: The Current Occupant Ending Explained". Screen Rant. Screen Rant. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
External links[edit]
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