Brendan Kerrick and his childhood friend Anthony Cioe have turned their shared passion for filmmaking into an internet sensation. Both marketing students at Purdue University Northwest, they have conjured shrieks and squeals from nearly two million viewers on YouTube with their feature-length, spine-tingling indie horror film, “Unsettled.”
The film, which tells the horrific story of two college students, Andrew (Cioe) and Jesse (Kerrick), who move into an old off-campus house haunted by a past tragedy, showcases the duo’s love for storytelling and horror. Filmed entirely in Northwest Indiana, “Unsettled” brings a chilling yet heartfelt touch to the Region’s indie film scene.
Cioe and Kerrick’s creative partnership began long before college. The two have been inseparable since the third grade, often making short films with Kerrick’s brother. Though their interests in horror started out differently, they eventually found common ground.
“I always loved horror movies, ever since I was really little. Anthony on the other hand, hated horror movies. I told him, ‘Eventually, you'll end up liking them because you're friends with me.’ Well, you know, one thing leads to another and what do you know? He loves horror movies now,” Kerrick said.
Drawing inspiration from horror hits like “Insidious” and “The Conjuring,” the duo began brainstorming ideas for a new short film. However, what started as a casual writing session in Cioe’s living room quickly turned into a much larger project.
“We were discussing a scene and how we could potentially turn it into a short film,” Kerrick said. “We ended up putting it away, came back to it months later, and said, ‘There's a full-blown movie in here.’ Then, before we knew it, we started writing a feature-length film.”
From August 2022 to February 2023, the two wrote the script for “Unsettled,” with filming beginning in May 2023.
While independent filmmaking is far from Hollywood's glitz and glamour, the camaraderie and passion found on set is irreplicable.
“There are times where it becomes stressful, obviously, or times where it's not fun but, you have to think about the final product and remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place: passion,” Kerrick said.
Before the film’s release on YouTube, the duo held a private premiere for “Unsettled” at their local AMC theatre to upwards of 300 attendees.
“I always reflect back on the night that we premiered the movie,” Kerrick said. “It was incredible to have so many family and friends come together and share that moment with us.”
Those 300 viewing eyes would soon grow to the thousands and beyond once “Unsettled” made its debut on YouTube on Dec. 16, 2023.
“It was weird because it was very noticeable,” Cioe said. “We got 20,000 views on the first day and we were like, ‘This is crazy.’ Then, within five days, we hit 100,000.”
Weeks later, the indie film hit one million views and counting.
“When we posted it, the channel had roughly 130 subscribers, and then, after the film was released, during those first five days, we hit 100,000 views and thousands of new subscribers,” Kerrick said. “I was shocked because this is an hour-and-a-half-long student film on YouTube. I didn’t expect people to sit there and watch the movie, but I guess it resonated with viewers.”
While the film marks a significant success for the filmmaking duo, it’s the dedication of those who believed in them that truly brought “Unsettled” to life.
“We had so many great people who were willing to take time out of their day to help bring our vision to life,” Cioe said. “We had a huge, committed cast filled with local, passionate talent, and we are just so incredibly grateful for everyone.”
While Cioe and Kerrick’s future paths may diverge slightly, their creative partnership remains strong.
“I would just like to be a part of whatever Kerrick is doing,” Cioe said. “Filmmaking is not something I see fully taking up my future, but it's something I love to do, especially writing and working on special effects or even acting. I love it all. So long as I get to be a part of whatever Kerrick is doing, I'll be happily lending a helping hand, for sure.”
“Unsettled” is available to stream on the duo’s YouTube channel, “BK Films.”