The new film Painter, which opened digitally on Tuesday, October 13th, is the kind of movie we don’t see too often anymore: a psychosexual thriller. The feature film debut of actor/writer/director Cory Wexler Grant, Painter tells the blackly comic tale of Joanne, a wealthy patron (an incredible Betsy Randle) who develops an unhealthy fixation on her prodigy Aldis (Eric Ladin). As Joanne becomes more obsessed—and Aldis justifiably wary—things escalate in surprising ways. Grant graciously took the time to answer my questions about his offbeat and creepy production, filmed on location in Los Angeles.

“I’m a New Yorker,” says Grant, who is gay. “But I was living in LA for 4 years, during which time I wrote Painter. LA is where the art scene was at the time. I think it still is.” The movie delves into the strange and cutthroat world of galleries, patrons, and artists, many of whom are queer (Omri Rose and Gregory Zarian make a sexy/funny couple as Yuval and Glen) or just plain odd (Anastasia Leddick as the memorable “Stocking Face”). “I love art,” Grant continues. “I grew up with artists - my father is a sculptor, my brother a photographer, my grandmother collected art. I’ve always been an artist. And it seems to me like the art world is a great setting to deal with existential themes like jealousy, rage, greed, and delusions of grandeur – all of which I experience at some level every single day.”

Indeed, jealousy and rage are central to Painter. Joanne’s support of Aldis goes from helpful and sweet to overbearing and controlling, while Aldis himself can’t get past his resentment for one-time bully and art world star Ryan West (Teen Wolf’s Casey Deidrick). The uniformly strong performances are crucial to the film, but Randle (Boy Meets World, Charmed) steals the show as Joanne. She reminded me a little of Mrs. Voorhees – but the actress delivers something quite unique in the role.

“I grew up watching her on Boy Meets World – a sweet, bubbly, Midwestern sitcom mom,” Grant recalls. “I saw her name on the casting list, and couldn’t imagine what the hell she would want with my depraved little art film. But Betsy it turns out is a rangy actor, a chameleon. She utterly disappears in Painter. She is not on that screen. That is not Betsy’s face, not her hair, not her voice, not her walk. I think she’s just incredible in it.”

Grant was also excited to land Eric Ladin (The Killing) as the unassuming but tormented Aldis. “I remember thinking to myself; he would be great in the lead role of my film,” Grant says. “A month later, we were casting Painter, just 3 weeks before we were to start our 16-day shooting schedule (a 16-day shooting schedule is insane), and as if manifested, Eric Ladin walked into the casting office. Total luck. I couldn’t believe it.” Ladin is likable and convincing as the struggling artist.

The movie veers smoothly between humor and drama, with moments of eroticism, tension, and violence (including a bit of shock collar bondage). “I have a very dark sense of humor,” Grant admits. “And I only truly feel comfortable around people who also have a dark, sick, depraved sense of humor. I’m happy you found it funny.” The director cites Steve McQueen, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Stanley Kubrick (“always Stanley Kubrick”) as some of his influences and credits director of photography Pierluigi Malavasi with helping him achieve the movie’s striking use of light and color; “I think we did very well with what we had.” He also jokes that the production “spent too much of our budget” on Joanne’s house, a convincingly lived-in location for some of the movie’s craziest moments. “The interior of that house gives Joanne’s character so much depth and history, and tells you so much about who she is as a person,” Grant declares. “That house is also inarguably haunted.”

The odd and entertaining thriller is out now on VOD and digital platforms.