Interviews
Why ‘They Will Kill You’ Stars Zazie Beetz and Patricia Arquette Keep Returning to Horror
Stars Zazie Beetz and Patricia Arquette are no strangers to horror, throwing themselves fully into the stunts and action of Kirill Sokolov‘s blood-soaked They Will Kill You.
Beetz stars as Asia, a young woman who must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious and twisted death-trap of a Manhattan high-rise, before becoming their next offering. Arquette stars opposite as Lily, the Virgil’s disarming but ruthless manager.
They Will Kill You unleashes its Satanic splatstick chaos in theaters on March 27, and Bloody Disgusting caught up with the pair at SXSW to discuss Beetz’s impressive stunt work and what keeps both her and Arquette coming back to the genre.
“I love horror, and I’ve always loved horror movies. Yes, because you can examine this darker aspect of certain characters, but also? It sort of immediately breaks all of the rules of film or life. It can go places that our logic or daily life cannot go, and so it opens up the world for the filmmaker, and I, as an audience member, don’t know where I’m going,” Arquette, who started her career with A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, tells us.
The actors weigh in on what makes horror so enduring, while Beetz details her extensive training to prepare for the stunts, in the video below.
The gory horror movie has been rated “R” for “strong bloody violence, gore, language, and brief sexual content/nudity.”
Kirill Sokolov (Why Don’t You Just Die!) directs from a script co-written with Alex Litvak. The film also stars Myha’la (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Heather Graham, and Tom Felton.
I wrote in my SXSW review, “Sokolov’s striking composition, dedication to carnage-fueled stunts and fight choreography, and an all-too-game cast anchored by a dedicated and fierce Zazie Beetz prevent this slight but energetic crowd-pleaser from careening off the rails.”
As the inaugural season of Apple TV+’s stellar new series “Widow’s Bay” barrels toward its finale in two weeks, the latest episode gives Kate O’Flynn the spotlight as her character revisits her trauma with the Boogeyman.
“Your Baggage“, directed by Andrew DeYoung (Friendship), sees O’Flynn’s scene-stealing Patricia once again renew her fight with the Michael Myers-like stalker that slaughtered her peers during her adolescence. Thrillingly, it makes for one extended chase sequence that sees Patricia trying to warn others, while evading the undead killer.
In short, this episode’s incredible riff on Halloween and the slasher subgenre transformed Patricia into a fierce Final Girl.
“Well, that felt like a bucket list that I didn’t know was on my bucket list until I did it, but when I did it, I just lapped up every minute,” O’Flynn tells Bloody Disgusting of her triumphant turn this episode. “It felt fantastic for her to get that moment where she is becoming a badass. That was amazing.”
The actress turned to a few notable references for her performance. “Horror-wise, I go back to my youth, which was referenced in some of the episodes: Wicker Man, Carrie, and Rosemary’s Baby, that sort of thing is my kind of vibe.”
O’Flynn also notes how the series’ unique tone allows for so much creative freedom to make bold swings. “There’s something very freeing about it. Every moment is up for grabs, so it’s like we don’t have to totally land in one direction or another. It keeps it alive.“
Patricia is the eccentric assistant to Matthew Rhys‘ Mayor Tom Loftis, who’s at the forefront of trying to solve the island’s pesky curse predicament. Rhys felt the same about “Widow’s Bay” and its rare ability to make you laugh and scream in equal measure, stemming from series creator Katie Dippold.
“The mandate was, ‘It’s a real world with real people. You play for real.’ There’s no playing for comedy or horror,” Rhys echoes O’Flynn’s sentiments on how freeing the series’ tone has been.
New episodes will release every Wednesday through June 17 only on Apple TV+.
Kate O’Flynn in “Widow’s Bay,” now streaming on Apple TV.
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