About
Our Kind of Cruelty is a psychological thriller adapted from Araminta Hall's acclaimed 2018 novel of the same name, approved for California's Film and Television Tax Credit Program in June 2025. The production has committed to filming in San Francisco and the Bay Area, taking advantage of the out-of-zone incentive that provides a 5% bonus for productions shooting outside the Los Angeles zone. The source novel, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, was hailed as "the year's best thriller" by critics. It follows Mike Hayes, a man who fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet life before meeting Verity Metcalf. Their relationship revolved around a game they invented called "the Crave," in which the pair would separate at a bar and wait for a man to hit on Verity. The novel opens with Mike in prison, his barrister having told him to write down the events leading to the murder for which he will go to trial. The Washington Post described it as "one of the nastiest and most disturbing thrillers" exploring male depravity and obsession. San Francisco's moody fog-draped neighborhoods, steep hills, and mix of wealth and grit provide an atmospheric match for the novel's themes of desire, deception, and unreliable narration. The film is one of four Bay Area independent productions in the June 2025 California Film Commission cohort, alongside High Priestess of Souls, Doll, and Sponsor.
Filming Locations
1 locationSan Francisco Downtown
Financial District and SoMa, San Francisco, CA
Part of 22 projects shooting outside LA zone. Receives 5% out-of-zone tax credit bump.
San Francisco
Sep 1, 2025 - Nov 30, 2025
Sources
5 verifiedResearched from 5 independent sources. How we research →
