Benjamin and Jodie Caron On Square Eyed Pictures, ‘Night Always Comes’

Growing up above their parent’s pub in the West Midlands, England, Benjamin and Jodie Caron would bustle around the office pretending to oversee a business. “I can’t remember what we were running, but I would be typing furiously on the typewriter and Jodie would be taking notes,” recalls Benjamin. They also spent a lot of time consuming entertainment, so much so that their parents warned they would get “square eyes” from watching so much television.

In a way, they were right, as the siblings have now launched Square Eyed Pictures, a production company focusing on documentaries, feature films and high-end television drama. That includes the drama-thriller “Night Always Comes,” directed by Benjamin and produced by the pair, now streaming on Netflix. Adapted by Sarah Conradt from the 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin, the film stars Vanessa Kirby as Lynette, a woman given one night to come up with the money to keep her family from losing their home. Already juggling multiple jobs, including as a personal escort, Lynette goes to increasing extremes to make her deadline.

Prior to collaborating, the Carons had both forged successful paths in the UK entertainment industry. Jodie served as a development executive for Working Title Films, where she contributed to such films as “Atonement” and “Pride and Prejudice.” Benjamin began directing factual entertainment and specials before moving into narrative series, where he earned three nominations for directing episodes of “The Crown” and “Andor.” It was on the former where Benjamin brought his sister on and she eventually served two seasons as script editor.

Square Eyed was founded at the time of Benjamin’s debut feature, “Sharper,” which was released in 2023. “That was the first project we produced together, and I guess the moment where we said, ‘Can we do this?’ Benjamin notes. “I guess we didn’t really shout about it at the time because we wanted to establish ourselves first.” “Night Always Comes,” was built alongside Vanessa Kirby’s Aluna Entertainment, from the ground up – “from book to script to selling” – after Kirby sent him Vlautin’s novel. Benjamin had been looking to reunite with Kirby since working together on “The Crown.” “It was one of those great reads where you sit down to read and in a blink you’re finished,” Benjamin notes. “I thought it could make a really taut, propulsive thriller and there was something about Lynette I really wanted to explore.”

It also fit in with the themes that interest both siblings. “We’re really drawn to stories of outsiders – the antiheroes, the misfits, the villains,” says Benjamin. “I think we love stories that take a sideways glance at familiar worlds. Stories in which characters are searching for their place in the world, because that feels really resonant to us.” That certainly applies to the thriller “Sharper,” in which a roundelay of actors including Julianne Moore and Sebastian Stan keep you constantly guessing as a story is told from the point of view of five different characters. Or to the many struggling characters who make questionable choices that Lynette encounters on her journey. And even to Lynette herself, who has audiences relating to her (if not outright rooting for her) as she continues down an increasingly criminal path.

They also love working with actors, and often cast familiar faces against type. It would be challenging to name more different roles than the two Kirby is currently appearing in – as the polished, otherworldly Sue Storm in “The Fantastic Four” and the struggling, visceral Lynette. “Night Always Comes” also features Randall Park, best known for his comedy work, in a serious role – and includes his first onscreen love scene.

They enjoy working with actors and casting director Carmen Cuba and come from a deep love of theater. “Both of us had amazing and inspirational drama teachers that really taught us about exploring stories through theater,” says Jodie. Benjamin did some directing for theater and admits he considered becoming an actor at one point so he loves the rehearsal process. “Acting is about playing and a permission to try things out and fail,” he says. “I love the process, I love improvising and working it out with actors. And that sometimes helps the characters feel more authentic and truthful. Which is what happened with ‘Night Always Comes.’”

The two also credit their childhood in that pub with their attraction to characters and stories. “A public house is really the sort of epicenter for so many stories,” says Benjamin. “You’ll have a barrister and a bricklayer and they’ll all talk to you as the children of the landlord. And every person is so individual and distinctive and has their own story. I feel like I’m somehow retelling those experiences in some way.”

In addition to being a “voracious reader,” Jodie says she genuinely loves “the practical producing side.” She adds, “I love working with crews and ensuring that, as much as possible, the film set is a good place to be. I want to work towards enabling people to do their best work. Ultimately, we want to tell the best stories we can tell, and give space for people to do their best work.”

Like their actors, the producers don’t want to be typecast – Jodie reveals her brother considered directing the new “Bridget Jones” sequel and they are more than open to a rom-com. And Square Eyed won’t just be concentrating on projects for Benjamin to direct. On the TV side, they have a Roman Empire epic and a returning series set in the world of fashion. And on the features side, a film set in the 1940s New York criminal underworld, a contemporary spy thriller and a dark comedy set on a Scottish island. Jodie also served as producer on Morven Christie’s debut short film “Stray,” which just premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

They’ve now worked together for over a decade and admit they don’t really know why it’s so harmonious. “People ask us all the time, ‘How do you not kill each other?’” Jodie reveals. “It just works. There’s an honesty you can have and arguments will blow over quickly because there’s a love and respect for each other. And we genuinely like each other. We talk about 80 times a day, no exaggeration.”