Filmmaker Jesse V. Johnson returns to EoM Presents to discuss his latest directorial effort, the ocean survival thriller Above & Below.

Laura Marano as Tatiana in ABOVE & BELOW. Photo courtesy of Aura Entertainment.

Johnson speaks about the technical and logistical challenges of underwater filmmaking, the performances of frequent collaborators Louis Mandylor and Jess Liaudin, and why humans are always more frightening antagonists than sharks. Also starring Laura Marano, Antonio Banderas, and Christina Ochoa, Above & Below arrives in theaters on July 29.

If you prefer an audio version, you can listen to the full interview here:

Official Synopsis:

30 feet below. 10 minutes of oxygen. 1 apex predator.

In theaters July 29^th, 2026.

Thomas Manning is a member of the NCFCA, SEFCA, and CCA, and also the co-host of the television show and radio program Meet Me at the Movies. He has served as a production assistant and voting member on the Film Selection Committee for the Real to Reel Film Festival. Additionally, he manages his own film review and interview site, The Run-Down on Movies. Manning is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University with a double-major in Communications and English. His passion for cinema and storytelling is rivaled only by his love for the music of Taylor Swift.

Categories: EoM Presents, Filmmaker Interviews, Publications, Stream

Tags: Above & Below, action, AF Films, Anthony Steven Giordano, Antonio Banderas, Aura Entertainment, Capstone Pictures, Christina Ochoa, crime, directing, EoM Presents, horror, interview, Jesse V. Johnson, Laura Marano, Mario Tardón, Match Point, thriller