EFP 76: Writer-director Ben Wheatley on Bulk

Host Dr Pasquale Iannone's guest on this episode of Edinburgh Film Podcast is the acclaimed British filmmaker Ben Wheatley.Since his 2009 debut, the crime thriller Down Terrace, Ben has specialised in highly inventive, unsettling, darkly funny pictures, often written in collaboration with his partner Amy Jump. From the hitman thriller Kill List (2011) to English Civil War drama A Field in England (2013), J.G. Ballard adaptation High Rise (2015) to 70s-set action film Free Fire (2016).Ben's versatility has brought him to the attention of Hollywood. He directed the $130m shark epic Meg 2: The Trench starring Jason Statham and his latest is action film Normal (2025) with Bob Odenkirk.Between these two American projects, Ben made Bulk (2025), a low budget, lo-fi science fiction film featuring familiar faces from the Wheatleyverse - Sam Riley, Alexandra Maria Lara, Noah Taylor and Mark Monero.The film premiered at the 2025 Edinburgh International Film Festival and Ben toured the film at the beginning of 2026, taking in everything from small community cinemas to the biggest screen in the UK, London's BFI IMAX.Before Ben embarked on the tour, he sat down with Pasquale to talk all things Bulk. They discuss the background to the film, Ben's influences, his love of DIY filmmaking and much more.