10 Great Horror Movies Made In Really Weird Ways
3. Darren Aronofsky Tried To Turn His Stars Against One Another During Shooting - Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan is a brilliantly unnerving psychological horror film which saw the filmmaker attempt to bring the on-screen rivalry of its central characters into reality.
The movie revolves around two competing ballet dancers, played by Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, and in order for their friction to feel more "real," Aronofksy decided to play them against one another during production.
The director would tell one of the pair that the other was performing their scenes much better, effectively negging them in order to generate jealously and resentment towards their co-star, mirroring the very film they're making.
However, Portman and Kunis eventually cottoned onto this and ended up texting a congratulations to each other every time they received a calculated remark from Aronofsky.
The plan didn't quite work as expected then, but you know what did? Portman and Kunis' terrific performances. Why be manipulative when you can just... hire good actors?