Before Yellowstone catapulted Taylor Sheridan into the spotlight as the creator of one of TV’s most compelling dramas, he was working behind the scenes in a much darker, more unexpected corner of cinema. Sheridan’s directorial debut came in the form of a low-budget horror film titled Vile, a movie that could not be further removed from the gritty westerns and modern crime dramas he’s now known for. Despite his aversion to embracing it as part of his legacy, Vile remains an interesting, if flawed, experiment in psychological horror and human morality.
But how did Sheridan, a writer and director now best known for Yellowstone, Wind River, and Sicario, end up making his first film in the world of torture porn and psychological horror? Let’s dive into the story behind Vile, the unlikely horror film that helped shape the future of a Hollywood titan.
Taylor Sheridan’s Unlikely Start in Horror
Taylor Sheridan’s journey to becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after writers and directors wasn’t exactly a straight line. While most people associate him with taut crime dramas, neo-Westerns, and a distinct brand of emotional grit, Sheridan’s first foray into filmmaking was in the low-budget, gritty world of horror. The film was called Vile (2011), and its premise sits squarely in the genre of post-Saw horror — a brutal subgenre sometimes referred to as “torture porn.”
A Favor For a Friend, Not a Career Move
Despite the film’s niche horror appeal, Sheridan is quick to downplay his involvement in Vile. According to the director himself, he doesn’t even consider it his true debut. Instead, he sees the movie as a favor for a friend who was struggling with the sheer volume of work involved in directing the project. In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Sheridan humbly referred to his role as merely “keeping the ship pointed straight,” acknowledging that he didn’t have much creative input in the film’s direction.
The film was the brainchild of Sheridan’s friend, Eric Beck, who raised the money for the project but found himself overwhelmed with the task of actually directing. According to Sheridan, Beck was the one who cast the actors and wrote the screenplay, while Sheridan stepped in at the last minute to help out. Sheridan admitted that he didn’t feel particularly proud of Vile, but he recognized that it provided him with an important opportunity to experiment with directing and learn some valuable lessons — ones he would later apply to his more successful projects like Wind River.
The Dark and Disturbing Premise of Vile
Even if Sheridan was only stepping in as a favor, Vile still presents an intriguing study of human behavior in the face of extreme circumstances. The film is set in a world where a new black-market drug made from the chemicals released by the human body during moments of intense pain is being sold. This drug, which promises an intense high, is both the film’s premise and the catalyst for its twisted narrative.
The movie centers around a group of strangers who wake up locked inside an apartment. Each one has a small vial attached to their neck, connected by tubes to their body. A video message explains that the only way to escape is for the group to produce enough of the chemical to fill their vials, which can only happen if they create enough pain. There is no clear antagonist, no outside threat, and no escape — only a group of people trapped in a confined space, struggling to figure out how to generate the required amount of pain to survive.
In many ways, Vile mirrors the claustrophobic, high-stakes tension seen in films like Saw and Cube. However, where Saw relied on elaborate traps and shocking gore, Vile takes a more intimate and psychological approach. The violence, though still disturbing, is less about the spectacle of blood and more about the emotional toll of human pain and survival instincts.
The Horror of Pain and Morality
What makes Vile stand out from other torture-themed films is its focus on the psychological and ethical struggles of its characters. Unlike other horror movies where the villains are clear-cut monsters or torturers, the antagonism in Vile comes from within the group. The characters must grapple with how to inflict pain upon themselves and others in order to survive, and as the movie progresses, their moral compasses begin to shift.
This scenario raises important ethical questions, which is something Sheridan would later explore in more subtle, nuanced ways in his later works like Wind River and Hell or High Water. In Vile, the dilemma is straightforward: do you prioritize your own survival at the expense of others? Who deserves to live, and who should suffer? The group dynamic becomes just as threatening as the physical danger, as alliances shift, and survival instincts take over.
The addition of a pregnant woman, Tayler (played by April Matson), further complicates the group’s moral decisions. As the members of the group debate who should go first or who should be spared, the movie asks its audience: Is it right to prioritize one life over another? This exploration of moral choices in the face of horror makes Vile an uncomfortable but thought-provoking watch.
Why Sheridan Doesn’t See Vile As His Real Debut
Although Vile is technically Sheridan’s first time in the director’s chair, he has publicly distanced himself from the film, perhaps due to its lack of polish or because it doesn’t reflect his later, more successful work. When speaking about Vile, Sheridan has been clear that he doesn’t view it as part of his directorial legacy. The movie wasn’t his vision; it was a favor he did for a friend, and he wasn’t heavily involved in the script or production decisions.
This isn’t to say that Sheridan didn’t learn from the experience — far from it. Sheridan admitted that directing Vile gave him valuable lessons about the technical aspects of filmmaking. He pointed out that the experience was instrumental in helping him refine his craft, particularly when it came to the production of his later films like Wind River, where he employed the same intimate, gritty style of storytelling, albeit with a far more nuanced exploration of human nature.
Though Sheridan may not consider Vile a significant part of his career, it undeniably laid the groundwork for his future success. The film, in its modest, low-budget way, offered Sheridan the opportunity to experiment with directing techniques, learn the ropes of filmmaking, and most importantly, understand how to handle the human condition — a theme that would come to define much of his later work.
The Legacy of Vile and Sheridan’s Transition to Success
While Vile may not have been a critical success, it is a fascinating look at Sheridan’s early steps into filmmaking. The movie’s focus on human survival, morality, and the horrors of human nature foreshadowed many of the themes Sheridan would later explore in his career.
After Vile, Sheridan would go on to write some of Hollywood’s most critically acclaimed screenplays, including Sicario and Hell or High Water. He would eventually find even greater success as the creator of Yellowstone, which has become a cultural phenomenon. But it’s clear that Sheridan’s journey into the world of psychological horror, no matter how small or unnoticed, helped shape his approach to filmmaking in powerful ways.
Conclusion: Vile as a Footnote in Sheridan’s Career
Though Taylor Sheridan may not consider Vile a major part of his career, there’s no denying that it represents an important chapter in his growth as a filmmaker. While it may not have garnered the same recognition as Yellowstone or Sicario, Vile remains a unique, low-budget horror film that dives into the human psyche in a way that few horror films do. It’s raw, uncomfortable, and gritty, with a focus on the internal struggle of its characters rather than just the gore.
As Sheridan’s career continues to evolve, Vile stands as an interesting stepping stone — one that reveals much about the filmmaker’s growth and his ability to delve into the darker sides of human nature. So, whether or not Sheridan embraces it as his debut, Vile is an important part of the story behind the man who would go on to revolutionize modern Westerns.
