EXCLUSIVE: Alexander Watson Brings Ghost Hunters and Social Media Influencers Together in Demonetize

Filmmaker Alexander Watson is bringing the worlds of paranormal entertainment and social media culture together in Demonetize, a horror-comedy centered on out-of-work ghost hunters who see an unlikely opportunity to reclaim the spotlight: teaming up with social media influencers.

The concept may sound perfectly suited for the current creator-driven entertainment landscape, but the inspiration behind the film came directly from Alexander’s own experience working behind the scenes in the digital world. Before stepping into the director’s chair, he began his career as a video editor and worked with some of the biggest influencers online.

That experience gave him an inside look at the exaggerated personalities, attention-grabbing titles, and elaborate scenarios that can dominate social media—and eventually gave him the idea for Demonetize.

DIRECTORS INSIGHTS – FROM VIRAL VIDEOS TO A HAUNTED COMEDY

The spark came while Alexander was editing an influencer video with the dramatic title “AHHHH! MY BROTHER IS POSSESSED!” Despite the supernatural-sounding premise, the actual video involved a wealthy family running around their mansion wearing white face paint.

For Alexander, the situation immediately raised a much funnier question: What would happen if people accustomed to creating supernatural content for views suddenly encountered something genuinely paranormal?

“I knew that if they were in a real haunted scenario, it would be hilarious.”

That simple observation became the foundation for Demonetize.But Alexander wanted the film to go further than simply making fun of influencers or ghost hunters. While horror-comedies can easily turn their characters into exaggerated stereotypes, he and the team behind Demonetize worked to give the characters individual histories and personalities.

“We tried really hard to make these characters feel real and give them unique backstories.”

That approach also influenced the casting. Alongside actors, the production brought actual influencers into the project, allowing people familiar with that world to contribute their own perspective.Alexander says the cast ultimately took the characters beyond what he had originally imagined.

“Some made choices I didn’t expect, and it made the character even better.”

The collaboration reflects one of the things Alexander enjoys most about filmmaking. For him, making movies is as much about the people creating them as it is about what eventually appears on screen.“There is a certain magic that happens when we all come together to try and make something.”

FINDING THE MIX BETWEEN LAUGHTER AND FEAR

Combining horror and comedy comes with a particular challenge: both genres depend heavily on timing, but a joke placed at the wrong moment can completely undermine a scare.

For Demonetize, Alexander found much of that balance during the editing process.

Some comedic moments worked individually but interfered with the tension the film was trying to create. Those jokes ultimately had to be sacrificed. Others were simply too entertaining to lose.

“Some jokes would take away from the scares. So we had to make the hard choice to cut them. Some we kept in because they were too good to pass up!”

Alexander’s enthusiasm for the combination of scares and comedy is hardly accidental. He describes himself as a major fan of The Evil Dead, and horror-comedy remains one of his favorite genres.

That appreciation helped shape a movie designed to move between the ridiculous and the unsettling without forgetting the characters caught in the middle.

BEYOND DEMONETIZE — WHAT’S NEXT FOR ALEXANDER WATSON

While filmmaking remains a major focus, Alexander has another creative passion far removed from a haunted movie set: cooking.He says that in another life, he could imagine becoming a chef and opening his own restaurant. For now, he enjoys discovering new recipes and testing them out at home for his partner. That constant interest in trying something new appears to carry over into his filmmaking career as well.

Demonetize is currently making its way through the film festival circuit, while Alexander is already looking toward his next project. He has announced plans for a liminal-space horror film, continuing his exploration of the genre while moving into a different kind of unsettling environment.

He is also open to connecting with investors interested in becoming involved with his future filmmaking projects. For Alexander, however, the motivation behind making movies remains remarkably simple: he loves the collaborative process.

“I love people. And I love working with people.”

That philosophy sits at the heart of Demonetize. What began with Alexander editing an outrageous influencer video eventually evolved into a film bringing actors, creators, filmmakers, horror, comedy, and internet culture into the same world.

And if Demonetize asks what happens when people who manufacture paranormal entertainment for an audience finally encounter something they cannot control, Alexander Watson may have found exactly the kind of collision horror-comedy was made for.