Director Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead) blew audiences away at SXSW with his latest film Don’t Breathe (read my review), which was the festival’s first Midnighter. I was lucky enough to sit down with the film’s stars Dylan Minnette (Goosebumps, Let Me In) and Daniel Zovatto (It Follows) and chat about the film. It’s definitely one of the more conversational interviews that I have done, aided by the fact that Zovatto and Minnette are friends in real life. Check out what they had to say! You can also check out my interview with Alvarez right here.

Bloody Disgusting: First thing’s first: I loved it. It was great.

Dylan Minnette: Awesome!

Daniel Zovatto: Great!

BD: What brought y’all onto the film. Did y’all audition or did you seek it out?

Dylan Minnette: We auditioned. We each met Fede and then read together with other people. We got it first, then read with a bunch of girls and then went to film the movie.

Daniel Zovatto: Yeah it was pretty standard but at the same time it was unique.

BD: It’s a pretty intense film. You both have had experience with intense films, but this is probably one of the more crazy ones. Did you have any reservations about doing it? 

Daniel Zovatto: No.

Dylan Minnette: For me it’s not really a reason you would expect, but here’s my story: It was originally supposed to film in Toronto, and then they called me to tell me I got the part, but that the shoot had been moved to Budapest. It took me a week or so to come to terms with it and say “Yes. I want to do this movie.” But I was so afraid of leaving. I had my summer planned out

Dylan Minnette: I had my band and, you know.

Daniel Zovatto: I called him and went to one of his concerts and was like “Bro you have to do this.”

Dylan Minnette: But it’s Budapest!

Daniel Zovatto: Exactly!

Dylan Minnette: I knew I was going to do it. I think I was just stalling.

Daniel Zovatto: Yes, you were stalling. You were telling me “I’m gonna do it man. It’s just gonna take me a week.” [laughs]

Dylan Minnette: I just had to convince myself because I was excited about the movie but the idea of just going away for the summer was intimidating.

Daniel Zovatto: This was your first time outside of the States?

Dylan Minnette: It was my first time out of the States so I was just intimidated by the idea. I’m glad I did it though because it was one of the best experiences ever. I’m unbelievably proud of the movie and I’m excited to be a part of it. There was no world where I wasn’t going to do it. There was never a chance I was not going to do it.

Daniel Zovatto: Or I would have fuckin’ killed you.

Dylan Minnette: Exactly.

BD: So were y’all friends before?

Both: Yeah, yeah.

Daniel Zovatto: Well I moved to L.A. and we met because we both did an episode of Agents of Shield and we met there and…[looks at Minnette] you were sixteen. That’s crazy.

BD: Well I forgot you were in Scandal. I watch that shit and I was like “Oh shit he was in Scandal.”

Dylan Minnette: Yup!

BD: Well, not anymore.

Dylan Minnette: Yeah, in and out on Scandal.

BD: Anyway, was there a particular scene where you were…I don’t want to say ready to throw in the towel, but where you were like “Man, fuck this.”

Daniel Zovatto: Yes! There was a scene in a car. I couldn’t say a lint.

Dylan Minnette: Oh oh oh “The guy’s a shut-in!”

Daniel Zovatto: Yeah. I have to say “The guy’s a shut-in” and I would say “The guy’s a…” I don’t know.

Dylan Minnette: What were you saying?

Daniel Zovatto: I don’t know but it took me like eight takes and I couldn’t say it.

Dylan Minnette: I couldn’t stop laughing.

Daniel Zovatto: He took me aside after the takes and showed me the bloopers and by the last time I’m like “I can’t fucking do this!” I’m not American though, so there’s a lot of words that I really have to make sure that I say them right so I don’t sound like I’m Latino. There were a few lines where I just said “Fuck this shit! I can’t fucking do this!” Fede was in the back cheering me on though. “You can do this Danny! You can do this!” They were all laughing at me.

Dylan Minnette: But what were you saying?

Daniel Zovatto: I forget. I was saying something like “sha-da” or something. I don’t know. Anyway. That was a hard scene for me.

Daniel Zovatto and Dylan Minnette, ComingSoon.net

BD: The should just add the blooper reel to the credits. It would probably do wonders for the movie.

Dylan Minnette: It was amazing.

Daniel Zovatto: It was so horrible.

BD: Well you’ve each had a horror film come out in the past year, and yes I am counting Goosebumps as horror film even though it’s not a horror film.

Dylan Minnette: Okay. Yeah.

BD: So Dylan you did Goosebumps and Daniel, you did It Follows. Are you wanting to do more horror or is it something that just kind of fell into your lap?

Dylan Minnette: If I’m going to do horror I only want to do horror that’s good. So reading the script and knowing that Fede is making it I knew that it was quality stuff.

BD: But what if it’s not Fede? What if it’s written by someone else?

Dylan Minnette: If it’s a script that I like then yeah, totally. It has to be something that is different from the last character I played. I don’t want to repeat myself and I don’t want to make a trend.

BD: Yeah and you were the bully in Let Me In, so you’re doing a pretty good job in changing it up.

Dylan Minnette: Yeah.

Daniel Zovatto: I did a few horror movies but I’ve been really fortunate to work with three genius directors. Larry Fessenden (Beneath) is a genius and David Robert Mitchell (It Follows) and Fede are as well. Those are three very different movies and I’ve been given three very different roles. I did get the whole “Are you sure you want to do another horror movie?” questions from people and I said “Uh, yeah I want to do this one.” It was unique, different and the character was completely someone else who was so far removed from who I am.

BD: Is that something that you feel is looked down on in Hollywood? Taking a horror role?

Daniel Zovatto: No, but that fact of doing two in a row-

Dylan Minnette: And a lot of people get their start in horror movies so it’s kind of inevitable. It’s not frowned upon. It’s kind of like a rite of passage. It’s going to happen at some point.

BD: This is sort of related but it’s like how it used to be looked down upon for film actors to do TV shows. Now, a lot of film actors are doing TV shows. So my dream is for actors to go back to horror. 

Daniel Zovatto: Well you know what I think it will happen because there’s a resurgence with how films are being made. I think we went through 10 years of shit horror but that in the past couple of years it’s changing. The Witch is a great film

BD: Oh I love it. Not everyone loves it, but I love it. 

Dylan Minnette: I really liked it

Daniel Zovatto: The Babadook was great. Cloverfield is supposed to be good.

BD: Cloverfield is good. I saw it two nights ago.

Dylan Minnette: I want to see it.

Daniel Zovatto: But I really thing things are changing. I’m dying to see another The Shining-level of film.

Dylan Minnette: Well for me the best horror movie I had seen in a long time was the Evil Dead remake when it came out.

Daniel Zovatto: It’s so different.

Dylan Minnette: It is so different and then I saw It Follows and was just so impressed.

BD: Well that’s another thing. It Follows, The Babadook and The Witch are films that the festival circuit really loved but then when they got a wide release the mainstream was like “NO. What the fuck is this?”

Daniel Zovatto: Because they want to see Transformers.

BD: Exactly. Some people just want jump scares every two seconds and don’t really know how to handle “smart” horror.

Dylan Minnette: But audiences are becoming smarter.

BD: That is true.

Dylan Minnette: I feel like the movie has to be marketed properly though. Like with our movie we had all this secrecy and I think that really helps audience reception.

BD: I completely agree. All three of those movies I just mention had a lot of hype, and hopefully that doesn’t happen with this one. Well, I’m certainly not helping matters. I gave it a 5 out of 5 so…whoops. 

Dylan Minnette: Oh thank you!

Daniel Zovatto: Yeah man, thank you!

BD: Anyway, I’m getting the wrap-up here, but it was great talking to both of you.

Dylan Minnette: You as well!

Daniel Zovatto: Same to you.

Check out Don’t Breathe when it hits theaters on August 26, 2016!