From director Sam Esmail comes a new thriller that puts humanity to the test.
In this interview with the cast, Ethan Hawke and Myha'la delve into the profound themes of humanity and identity, the scene that made Ethan uncomfortable during filming, and their knowledge of the ""Friends"" universe.
In this interview with the cast, Ethan Hawke and Myha'la delve into the profound themes of humanity and identity, the scene that made Ethan uncomfortable during filming, and their knowledge of the ""Friends"" universe.
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00:00 I really enjoyed this film.
00:01 I found it incredibly intense,
00:04 but there's also just kind of something
00:06 so heartfelt about it at the same time.
00:08 And I think that's really tied
00:10 to the "Friends" series for me.
00:14 So I wanted to just start off by asking each of you
00:17 if you have a favorite "Friends" character
00:19 from the television series.
00:21 - Oh, I didn't really watch it like that
00:24 to have a favorite, if I'm honest.
00:26 - Yeah, I have to be honest,
00:27 we're gonna disappoint you profoundly here,
00:29 which is that I have a knee-jerk resistance
00:33 to anything that's popular.
00:34 - Yeah.
00:35 - And so when all my "Friends" were going crazy
00:39 about that show, I just resisted it.
00:41 It's just my personality.
00:42 I was just like, "I'm not watching it.
00:44 Everybody's talking about that, I'm not watching it."
00:45 - I feel the same way.
00:47 - I totally get that, honestly.
00:49 Like when everyone wants you to see it,
00:51 you're like, "No, now I've lost interest.
00:52 Now it's not as appealing."
00:54 So totally understandable.
00:55 Well, I wanted to also go over to you, Maihala,
00:58 and just ask, I mean, there's so many deeper themes,
01:01 you know, beyond this "Friends" series
01:03 that really talk about the humanity and identity of people.
01:07 I mean, no one in this movie is perfect.
01:09 So I wanted to know if you really picked up on those themes
01:12 and if it was something that drew you
01:13 to this project and to Ruth.
01:16 - Yeah, I mean, of course.
01:17 Like you put a diverse group of people in a room
01:22 and then watch them interact underneath
01:24 like what feels like a global pressure.
01:26 Of course, all of those things are going to come up.
01:31 But what I respect and was drawn to the most
01:35 about this project is that it's not like being like,
01:38 "We're talking about racism now.
01:41 Now we're talking about class."
01:42 Like all of those things exist because we're human beings
01:45 and we are talking and moving around in this space together.
01:48 And I like that this just, you know,
01:50 it like peels back the curtains
01:51 so that the audience can watch a situation
01:53 and then they go home and have the discussion.
01:55 You know what I mean?
01:56 We're not telling anyone how to feel about these instances.
01:59 We're just letting them exist.
02:01 And I think the best art does that.
02:04 - I agree. Well said.
02:06 - Yeah, no, I absolutely agree.
02:09 It's great that, yeah, it does have so much
02:11 that just leaves you wondering what's happening,
02:14 what's going on, who is right in these, you know, scenarios.
02:17 And going over to you, Ethan,
02:19 I know that I love Clay
02:21 and I really think that he is a very good dad
02:24 and he's trying so hard in these impossible situations.
02:27 So as a father yourself,
02:29 what was it like embodying this character
02:31 and bringing Clay's challenges to life?
02:34 - Well, it was really uncomfortable for me
02:36 because there's so much of Clay that I relate to
02:39 and there's so much about him that I don't like.
02:42 And it's hard when you're playing a character
02:46 that slightly turns up the volume on aspects of yourself
02:50 that you're not proud of, you know?
02:52 And a priority on being affable.
02:55 You know, there's a time in life for a spine
03:00 and at some key pivotal moments, Clay does not have one.
03:04 And what Mahershala did that,
03:07 so he brings such a strength and power
03:12 to everything that he does,
03:14 that in a lot of ways, we were like a quartet
03:17 and each one of us played in a key.
03:20 Once we started rehearsing, it was like,
03:21 oh, that's who your character is.
03:23 Okay, it adjusts your key.
03:25 And so we were all playing in relationship to each other.
03:29 And Clay, there was, not to be too personal,
03:34 but I remember I was one of those people
03:36 when the pandemic first started happening.
03:37 I just didn't believe it.
03:38 I thought everybody was overreacting.
03:40 You know, they're not making you go to school today?
03:42 That's ridiculous.
03:43 You'll be in school next week.
03:45 And they're like, no, like school's gonna be over this year.
03:47 I'm like, you'll be back in class.
03:49 You know, I mean, I just, it takes me a little while.
03:51 I'm such an optimist that I just,
03:53 I sometimes don't see the truth.
03:55 And that's where optimism gets really dangerous.
03:59 And Clay has that to an extreme degree.
04:02 And I find it really powerful scene in the movie,
04:06 almost so much so that I didn't wanna play it,
04:08 the scene where he doesn't stop for the woman
04:12 on the side of the road.
04:13 'Cause it's such a toxic situation where
04:17 Clay doesn't leave her 'cause he's a bad person
04:19 or he's malevolent.
04:20 He does the wrong thing 'cause he's afraid
04:23 and he wants to be safe.
04:26 And that's why a lot of bad things in this life happen.
04:29 'Cause people don't put themselves at risk at all
04:33 to help their brothers and sisters, you know?
04:36 And so the scene is actually a really dangerous scene
04:40 in the best sense of that word,
04:42 because like you said, it doesn't talk about racism
04:45 or classism or whatever.
04:46 It's just the subconscious is very loud
04:50 and it's penetrating and it forces you to look at it.
04:53 Lots of people leave people by the side of the road
04:56 every day and they do it because they're scared
04:59 of what it will cost them.
05:00 And this is an exaggerated scene of it and I hate it.
05:04 And it was very difficult to play.
05:06 It's beautiful work.
05:08 Thank you. Beautiful work.
05:10 It was, yeah.
05:10 And you really do get to see how fear can really,
05:13 you know, hinder your own humanity.
05:16 It hinders your ability to be your best self, you know?
05:19 And it's tragic and it's tragic every day
05:22 in so many places all over the world.
05:24 Absolutely.
05:25 Well, thank you both.
05:26 Congratulations on the film.
05:27 That's all the time I have today.