Robert Heath, director of horror film “Truth or Die,” said that when he first read the script for the film, he was impressed with its entertaining pace.

“I’ve read a lot of horror scripts over the last 10 years and this one was something that wasn’t completely the most original idea in the world and the characters weren’t that original, but there was something about it that was well-paced,” he said. “…[M]ost of the scripts I’ve read over the last 10 years…I just sort of [would think] ‘Well, I know what’s going to happen next.’ This one, I actually felt it was a great read. It was one of those scripts that you kind of run through it…[and] enjoy it.”

Heath said that his horror inspirations include classics from his childhood. “I’m of a certain generation, I suppose,” he said. “I’m influenced by the kinds of films in the ’70s and ’80s…’Friday the 13th,”Halloween,”The Evil Dead’–they were kind of landmark films…[as well as] those kind of filmmakers of that era.”

Horror News called “Truth or Die” a film that American filmmakers could learn from. Heath said that it’s not so much of American filmmakers needing to learn from his film because there’s a give-and-take from both countries. ” I think people in the UK emulate American horror films,” he said. “In the UK, we’re always trying to emulate American [cinema] and I also think there’s a kind of Gothic horror history in the UK…and a lot of the old films like the [“Dracula” Hammer films] starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.” It’s hard not to be affected by those influences as a filmmaker, he said.

What Heath wants audiences to take away from “Truth or Die” is the fun there is in being scared.

“We’ve got all the sort of archetypes,” he said. “We’ve got the Virgin, the Slut, the Nerd, the Jock, and its’ got kind of a bit of torture, sex, all that kind of stuff. So it’s shamelessly heightened drama. What I wanted to get out of it was something I would have enjoyed and hopefully we’ve achieved that.”

“Truth or Die” is on DVD now.