Must-watch trailer: local sci-fi Showmax Original film The Fix

Showmax has just dropped the adrenaline-fueled trailer for The Fix, premiering on 31 October 2024 as the African streamer’s Halloween highlight.

Set in a dystopian future with toxic air, The Fix follows a model who takes a new designer drug at a party and suffers a shocking transformation. Pursued by forces with competing interests in the drug’s effects, Ella discovers that her mutations could save the human race.

Grace van Dien (Chrissy in Stranger Things S4) stars as Ella, opposite Daniel Sharman (Fear The Walking Dead), SAFTA nominee Keenan Arrison (Binnelanders), Clancy Brown (John Wick 4, The Penguin), and Nicole Fortuin (Alles Malan). 

Watch the trailer for The Fix

Also look out for Fleur du Cap winner Tafara Nyatsanza (Beast, Blood & Water), Young Artist Award winner Caleb Payne (The Kissing Booth, Warrior), Robyn Rossouw (Arendsvlei, Summertide) and Tina Redman (Ludik, Savage Beauty).

The Fix was the opening night film at MIPAfrica and the closing night film at Chattanooga, where it won the Dangerous Visions Award. “When you lay your eyes on South African filmmaker Kelsey Egan’s thrilling sci-fi/action/body horror concoction, The Fix, you’ll immediately understand why we knew this had to be our 2024 Closing Night Selection,” says Chattanooga. “We love this movie, from its killer lead performance by the wonderful Grace van Dien to its wild dystopian world and fantastic mutation effects.”

Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company, will be releasing the South African film in the US, Canada and select international territories on 22 November 2024.

The Fix is written and directed by American-born Kelsey Egan, who has lived in South Africa since 2007 and recently received the UK Global Talent visa to work there as well. Her debut feature, the Showmax Original Glasshouse, earned rave reviews globally after its debut at Fantasia, sold internationally, and was the most awarded film at the 2022 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs). 

To find out more about The Fix, we caught up with Kelsey, who also produces the film alongside Allison Friedman (Fantasia Audience Award winner The Mortuary Collection) and South African Greig Buckle (Oscar-shortlisted Life, Above All and #1 US box office hit Chronicle).

Where did the idea for The Fix come from?  

I wrote the first draft of The Fix in 2013. I was interested in how much our perception of the world is impacted by how we are treated, and how much this is informed by appearances. I wanted to explore these ideas through the transformation story of a girl who feels that her appearance is the only thing she’s ever received validation for, but when she experiences this traumatic physical transformation, she has to figure out who she is outside of that… and learn what matters to her more than how she is perceived. 

I have -11 vision. My parents noticed when I was around six because I was using binoculars to see things that were only five feet away. So I got really thick glasses, and since I was also a big reader, I was basically just seen as a huge nerd. Then the summer before Grade 6, I cut my hair and got contact lenses. When I went to school on the first day, there were a lot of kids there that didn't know me from elementary school because we had two different schools merge. Based just on appearances – not wearing glasses and having a haircut – the first day of Grade 6 was the first time I ever received warm, open overtures of friendship from kids I didn’t know. And it was the first time that I was treated in certain ways by boys. It was weird. I was the same person, right? But these small changes  in the way I looked made this huge difference in how strangers were engaging with me. I still remember what that felt like; it was such an unsettling experience. It made me really think about how much the way we're treated is based on superficial appearances, and how that in turn impacts our worldview, and how we feel about the world, and how we feel about ourselves.

The Fix is set in a world where the air is toxic. Did you create Covid as a marketing stunt for your film? 

Look, I’m actually quite offended by this whole Pandemic situation, because if I could have made The Fix when I wanted to, anytime between  2015 - 2019, I would have been considered omnipotent, but now I will only ever be seen as derivative. Alas!

How did you get Grace van Dien from Stranger Things to come to South Africa to star in your film? 

When I first met Grace, I realised her dad was Casper van Dien, who’d actually shot Starship Troopers with Clancy and then Starship Troopers 3: Marauder in South Africa. Some of our crew on The Fix actually worked on that. So one of the reasons why Grace wasn’t thrown at the thought of flying halfway across the world to Cape Town to shoot a movie was because her dad did it, and had a great time. So we got really lucky there. But also, Grace loves the genre and was just incredible about jumping in! It felt like this brilliant, full circle cosmic alignment with her following in her dad’s footsteps, flying to South Africa to shoot a sci-fi, and sharing the screen with Clancy!

We know South Africans love their skop, skiet en donder action movies. Tell us about the fight scenes. 

I was lucky enough to work as a stunt performer for eight years. As I worked my way up in the industry, I tried to work for as many departments as I could. I figured that to be the best director I could be, I needed to understand where every department was coming from. So I started training with my stuntie friends because I wanted to get better at action directing. No one was more shocked than me when this training actually led to stunts castings and getting the opportunity to work as a stunt performer on major sets. 

I got to audition for Mad Max: Fury Road, and fell out of my proverbial chair when I was selected for their stunt team. I got to participate in the most incredible training and rehearsal process, first in Cape Town and then in Swakopmund, where I doubled for one of the five wives while all the fight choreography was being developed. It was  incredibly cool. 

The whole time, I felt like a total imposter but I’m so grateful I got to have the experience. Probably one of the greatest gifts I've ever received in my life was the opportunity to learn and grow with stunt professionals who were infinitely more skilled and talented than me. I didn't stay for the whole shoot, but being there for the rehearsal process was remarkable, and I've never lost my passion for stunts. 

In The Fix, there's one specific fight sequence with two exceptionally talented friends I worked with on Fury Road: Matthew Van Leeve and Russ McCarroll. We had so much fun choreographing that together. Then next thing I know, both were overseas working on huge movies, like Furiosa. That really hit home how lucky I was that they were even available to come play. 

I have a huge amount of gratitude towards the stunt family in South Africa and what they brought to this movie. Everyone really pulled out all the stops. 

Beyond all the fight scenes and the superhero origin story, what’s the deeper message for you? 

We know that we're causing harm to the earth. We know we're doing damage. We know the choices that we're making are going to have a long-term impact on future generations. And yet, we as a species are consistently resistant to change. It’s almost like our Achilles Heel. That's one of the themes I wanted to explore with this film and Ella’s transformation. As Spider says in the trailer, “Either we change or we die.”

South African filmmaking has focused on being hyperlocal recently, and making content for its own audience. In contrast, The Fix feels like it’s made for a global audience. Why the change in approach?

I think we should be developing projects for the international market to build a more sustainable local industry. We have a really strong service industry that’s been making movies for international audiences for decades: it's something we’re really, really good at, but we’re reliant on international work coming to our shores to shoot. If the South African industry can develop a reputation for delivering original, commercially-viable work for international markets, we will hopefully be able to attract more international partners to produce more globally-minded projects. And a big part of this is raising awareness around South African talent. I wanted to provide an opportunity for  gifted South Africa actors like Keenan, Tina, Robyn, Tafara and Nicole to co-star alongside our international cast, and enable our dynamite local crew to helm head of department roles that are often reserved for international crew on service jobs, to tell a globally relatable story. 

You were born and raised in the United States. How has living and working in South Africa influenced you as a filmmaker?

I first moved to South Africa because I felt the need to challenge my boundaries and experience other worlds. I wanted to learn what it felt like to be a fish out of water, and an outsider. I figured that there was no better way to grow as a storyteller than to expose myself to realities and perspectives different from my own. The lessons and experiences have been invaluable, both as a filmmaker and as a human being. By positioning myself between two different worlds, I’ve discovered just how much one’s origins determine the boxes one is placed in, and how difficult it can truly be to break free of them.

​​South Africa has taught me how to see the world through different lenses. In a global climate where fear-mongering and extremism feed prejudice and the world feels increasingly divided, I believe that it's more important than ever to create art that flips the script and highlights the danger of making assumptions. 

For me, the best films inspire critical examination of the world and our place within it. I’m drawn to exploring how external factors influence an individual’s sense of identity, and in turn, the extent to which identity – or rather, perceived identity – can influence how one engages with the world. These explorations have been both inspired and informed by my experiences as an expatriate.

Historically, the first world has directed the course of the future, and the one percent have pulled the puppet strings. Similarly, films have depicted first world heroes solving the world’s problems. Real world heroes exist everywhere, but geography often influences the recognition one receives.

The heroes of The Fix hail from South Africa. By viewing their efforts through the gaze of an expat, I hope to provide Western audiences a relatable launch pad via which to interrogate racial profiling and geographical discrimination.

The Fix explores how perception can influence behavior and self-image via a diverse, female-driven cast. By setting up a scenario in which our heroine seems entirely justified in her assumptions, the film exposes the danger of preconceptions within the context of a dystopian thrill ride.

What people are saying about The Fix

The Fix is an adrenaline-fueled, frenetically paced, ultra-stylish rollercoaster ride that combines body horror with sci-fi action thrills… The success of the film weighs heavily on the shoulders of Van Dien, and she is magnetic, displaying ample vulnerability and strength, imbuing the film with emotional depth while kicking ass with graceful action-hero panache... The visuals are striking, with jaw-dropping effects and first-rate production values. Ella’s transformation is as strangely beautiful as it is grotesque. The Fix was a film a decade in the making and deserves a wide audience. It’s both breathtaking and horrifying— a gorgeously imagined, intensely thrilling sci-fi/body horror nightmare fantasy that’s relentlessly paced and riveting.

- Morbidly Beautiful 

It’s truly amazing how prescient the story is… Van Dien is captivating as Ella. The role is both physical and emotional and she keeps the viewer held rapt for the entire runtime… Everything comes together to make The Fix feel really big and the stakes feel really high.

- Downright Creepy

Kelsey Egan comes from a stunt background, having been a stunt performer in the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road and The Crown, so the fight choreography in The Fix is top notch… The Fix is a fun action romp that has just enough body horror to keep you on the edge of your seat.”

- ContraZoomPod 

“The Fix is a gorgeous movie. It is full of future technology swings that feel lived in… With a surprisingly deep narrative, a gorgeous aesthetic, and a find cast, The Fix is a quality science fiction/body horror/fairy tale film.”

- ScareValue 

Kyk, ek is nie ‘n sci-fi-ou nie, maar hulle het my oortuig. Die rolverdeling is briljant and en die span het uitstekend werk met die fliek gedoen.” ("Look, I'm not a sci-fi guy, but they convinced me. The cast is brilliant and the team did an excellent job with the movie.")

- Gayton McKenzie, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture of South Africa, speaking to Netwerk24 after the film’s premiere at MIPAfrica

Set in a future Cape Town, The Fix not only captivates with its stunning visuals and compelling narrative but also highlights the creativity and dynamism inherent in African cinema.

- Judy Goddard, FAME’s head of partnerships. 

You’ve never seen a South African sci-fi/action/body horror/superhero origin story like The Fix. Showmax has opened the floodgates to new types of stories here, and you can see the fun our filmmakers are having, making the types of projects they never imagined being possible on local TV.

- Nicola van Niekerk, Head of Premium Content & Co-Productions, MultiChoice