Gario Cuevas on “Hazard” and the Ghosts We Dare to Wake

In this episode, Tony sits down with Pixar animator Gario Cuevas to explore his haunting independent film Hazard — a supernatural thriller that trades jump scares for psychological unease. Known for his work in animation, Cuevas steps into live-action with a story that’s as emotionally charged as it is chilling. Hazard follows Jane (Joanna Kay), whose car breaks down on the edge of a quiet town. While waiting for help, she’s dared to summon a local ghost — a challenge that spirals into a disturbing encounter with the lingering presence of a mass shooter. What begins as a dare becomes a reckoning with trauma, memory, and the unseen forces that haunt forgotten places. 🎧 In this conversation: He discusses casting Joanna Kay and crafting a protagonist whose vulnerability becomes her strength. Cuevas shares how he approached the film’s central ghost — not as a monster, but as a manifestation of unresolved violence and communal fear. This episode is a thoughtful dive into how horror can illuminate the emotional scars we carry, and how genre storytelling can confront the shadows we often avoid. Hazard is a bold, unsettling film — and Cuevas’s insights reveal the care and complexity behind its creation.