Spider One And Krsy Fox Talk 'Big Baby', Horror Tropes, And Shark Movies
Big Baby (2025) comes from a long line of self-reflective and meta-textual horror films. The movie focuses on a filmmaker who starts to see the true rampage of his most recent creation: a brutal murderer who uses the moniker of a giant baby inspired by his nightmares that might be more real than he realizes. Similar to other genre subversions like Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) and The Cabin in the Woods (2012), Big Baby has fun with the underlying questions about art that the film posits.
That was very much the intention of Director/Writer Michael Cummings, who goes by the professional identity of Spider One. The creative brings a lot of his own highs and lows as an artist into all of his films. During an interview with JustWatch, Big Baby Director/Writer Spider One and star Krsy Fox discuss the inspiration behind the film, why they love shark movies, and crafting a truly memorable slasher villain.
Spider, what excited you the most about playing in the meta sandbox as a filmmaker?
Spider One: This was sort of there from the beginning of the idea. If there’s a throughline to almost anything I write, it’s always somebody who is battling some self-destructive element in their life. I’ve lived my entire life as a creative person trying to thrive and survive purely on that. Whether it’s a story or a song, it does drive you a little mad because it’s a life choice that is so unconventional and difficult at times. Sometimes, as a creative person, you think about how it could be easier to just get a real job. You do this task, and on Friday you get a check. But the reality is, if you really are being a creative and living a creative’s life, it’s not really a choice.
You have no choice but to do it. That brings so many manic manifestations to the front. This character of Adam, who is so desperate to have control over these stories and control over his life and what people think of his work and whether his significant other respects him, it all comes to a point where it unravels him. Being able to represent that metaphorically with this Big Baby character is the best way to tell stories. I love that sort of Twilight Zone (1959) approach where you take a real-life, relatable scenario and represent it in the wildest, most fantastical way you can.
Krsy, what was your first reaction to reading a script like this?
Krsy: I was very excited. Obviously, I love a good slasher movie, so that was a no-brainer. The character of Kate herself, the thing I really loved – I’ve been playing a lot of really crazy characters or monstrous people. Kate was sort of the heart of this movie, but she was also a flawed, deep character. A lot of the time you’re like, ‘Oh, it’s the girlfriend or the wife,’ but it didn’t feel like that this time. She really drives the story. She held it together, and I loved that.
I loved the relationship between her and Adam. I really related to it. There was so much to dive into. This was a great actor’s movie. If you took out Big Baby, this would still be a captivating movie. The story and the relationship [between Kate and Adam], working with Brandon Scott - it was a magical experience. We had this great connection right away, and it felt so easy to fall in love with these characters… I’m so proud of this movie.
Spider, what was the process of figuring out the look and design of a slasher killer like Big Baby? What’s that creative process like?
Spider: The aesthetic and design of a character is really important. Sometimes I think people think it’s just throwing a mask on somebody, giving them a jumpsuit, and you’re good to go. It doesn’t really work that way. I really think if you look at all these classic designs of the slasher characters that have stuck in the culture, they’ve been really brilliantly designed. Whether it’s the color of Freddy Krueger’s striped sweater, Jason Voorhees’s mask having those red triangles… There’s a reason why Superman and Spider-Man have lived for generations, and that’s partly because there’s an aesthetic and design.
It was really important to create something recognizable and unique that could be recreated if you want to make it a Halloween costume. What was subversive was taking something that in real life is cuddly and cute and unassuming and non-threatening, like a real-life baby, and transforming it into something the opposite of that. Making it scary and imposing, but you really have to be careful so that it doesn’t come off as silly. I think people’s first impression, until they see the movie, is that it’s going to be a big goof. Then they see it and are like, "Holy shit, that guy is fucking terrifying!” There is a thought process to it. You try different things, and we had such great effects people to help us to physically create this mask, so that the end result turned out as effective as it did.
What have been some of your favorite scary movies lately?
Krsy: I have lists for all my friends because most people do not watch as many horror movies as I do. But one film that immediately popped into my head when you said that was this film, Oddity (2024). I think people who have seen it loved it, and it was absolutely fantastic. It was so scary, and I absolutely loved that film. So I definitely think that. I feel like a weird go-to that a lot of people have seen, but a lot of people also haven't, is Funny Games (2008). I think that movie is so creepy.
Spider: We're suckers for any shark movies. We will watch any shark movie. It doesn't matter. We watched Water Park Shark (2026) the other night, which was from the creator of Sharknado (2013); it's awesome. It doesn't even matter the quality. We will watch any shark movie. There are a lot of great ones… you're always chasing Jaws (1975). It's the best shark movie ever but also arguably maybe one of the best movies in general, so you're always aiming for that shark movie. They can just never beat it. There are also possession movies you'll watch, but The Exorcist (1973) is still on top. I would just recommend going on Hulu and finding any shark movie and watching it.
