Mary Elizabeth Winstead loves scream. “It’s at all times been one thing that has come simply for me. I really like letting it out. It feels so good. It’s not one thing I’ve needed to work on, however it’s one thing I take pleasure in,” she tells StyleCaster.
Her affinity for screaming is sensible. With greater than a dozen horror and thriller films beneath her belt, which has affectionately earned her the status as one in all Hollywood’s most recognizable scream queens, Winstead is aware of a factor or two about what it’s prefer to battle for her life. Her latest enterprise into the style is Hulu’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, a remake of the 1992 thriller of the identical title, through which Winstead stars reverse fellow scream queen, Maika Monroe.
Whereas the movie is taken into account a remake of the 1992 model, the similarities are slim, apart from the truth that they each focus on two ladies with a shared previous who reunite years later. In The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Winstead performs Caitlyn Morales, a spouse and a mom of two younger youngsters who hires Polly Murphy (Monroe), a girl she helped years earlier at her social employee job, as a nanny. All appears effectively till Caitlyn begins to slowly lose her thoughts as unusual, unexplainable issues begin to occur inside her household. As plot unravels, so does the backstory between Caitlyn and Polly as Caitlyn learns Polly’s true id and the way they actually know one another.
It’s extremely cathartic to let all of it out and scream and cry and claw and attempt to survive.
“I hadn’t seen the unique, however I used to be very conscious of what it meant and what that story was about, so I used to be very curious to see how they have been going to replace it,” Winstead says. “The thought of enjoying this mom being terrorized by a nanny. I believed could possibly be so attention-grabbing. I used to be intrigued from the beginning, after which I learn the script, and I used to be blown away by the take a look at the feminine characters. It got here from such an empathetic and complicated viewpoint, which I wasn’t actually anticipating.”
Forward, Winstead breaks down the ending of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, what she actually thinks about being referred to as a scream queen, and the horror film she would like to do a sequel to.
You’re a mom in actual life. How did that have an effect on the way you method this function?
It simply made it really easy to connect with Caitlyn. Fortunately, I don’t wrestle in all the identical ways in which Caitlyn does. Motherhood doesn’t actually come simply to her. She tries to current herself as if it does, however inside, she’s actually struggling to determine be mom and join along with her youngsters. She kind of retains developing towards these roadblocks, which in the end has so much to do with what’s within her and what she’s pushing down and repressing and never taking a look at till she will actually be her true self and embrace that she’s not going to actually be capable to be the very best mom she may be. Any mom can relate to that feeling of at all times desirous to be a greater mom and typically feeling such as you’re falling quick. Even when we don’t all undergo the identical issues to the extent that Caitlyn goes by means of, particularly all through the movie, it’s one thing each father or mother can relate to at some degree.
The final scene of Polly and Caitlyn collectively exhibits Caitlyn crying over Polly’s physique after she simply killed her. What was going by means of Caitlyn’s thoughts in that scene?
It’s a really tragic second, and it’s one other factor I really like concerning the movie is that we’re not clapping and cheering for the villain being killed on the finish. It’s really extremely unhappy. These two ladies have such a tragic previous and this tragic reference to each other. And Caitlyn would by no means have wished that to be the result for Polly or Rebecca with all that transpired after they have been youngsters. If something, she would have wished to return and save Polly from what she went by means of, and so she would have by no means wished this to be the result. It’s every thing popping out and letting out the reality about who she actually is and what she actually went by means of when she was younger and dealing with that.
Do you are feeling like there’s a sufferer or a villain on this story?
I feel they’re mirrors of each other. They’re two sides of the identical coin. That is some backstory we created. It’s not within the movie, however Caitlyn was capable of transfer on and ahead as a result of she got here from a background of wealth, and Polly didn’t. These are two sides of trauma, and any person who has some assist and is ready to decide themselves up in a roundabout way, even when they’re nonetheless repressing what they’ve been by means of. After which somebody who had no assist in any respect and what that in the end manifested into.
The film ends with Emma telling Jody the identical story Polly instructed her earlier within the film concerning the can of tuna fish. What was the importance of that scene ending the film?
It’s an actual touch upon generational trauma, and the concept now this younger woman has simply witnessed all of this ache and violence, and the way is that going to have an effect on her occurring? It’s extra of a query to consider what’s that going to be like for her? I feel there’s nonetheless hope that she’ll be capable to heal from it, and that it received’t go down the identical route that it’s been down earlier than, with turning into a lifetime of ache and violence and issues for herself. However it’s prefer it’s placing that query within the air of that could possibly be a risk and that this story could possibly be handed on to the following era.
We don’t see you as a blonde typically. So what was the importance of the blonde hair?
I dyed my hair blonde, after which I had extensions, as a result of the concept was to kind of make Micah and I look alike as a lot as doable, only for this nice impact that [director] Michelle [Garza Cervera] got here up with, which is that Polly and Caitlyn kind of change roles by the tip of the movie. You see Caitlyn beginning to look much more like Polly, and Polly’s beginning to look much more like Caitlyn. You see on the final scene, Polly is sporting a cashmere sweater, and he or she’s acquired her hair up in a French twist bun. And Caitlyn is raggedy and her hair is stringy, and he or she’s in a sweatshirt, so she seems to be extra down on her luck, like Polly regarded to start with. And Polly seems to be much more like she’s residing her finest life Caitlyn was initially. That impact was stunning, and that was one thing that Michelle wished to have all through the movie.
I really like characters who’re survivors.
Did you want your self as a blonde?
I did. I used to be so into it. I stored it for a very long time. I’ve solely not too long ago gone again to brown as a result of I used to be kind of like, “OK, I’m able to really feel like myself once more.” However I stored the blonde for six months after we completed taking pictures, simply because I believed, “I’m not blonde on a regular basis. I’d as effectively take pleasure in it whereas I can.”
You’ve been in lots of horror and thriller films. What do you want concerning the style?
There’s a masochism factor of loving being put by means of the ringer in some capability. As a result of they’re at all times emotionally draining. I at all times wish to go to probably the most actual place, in order that often means, if my character is working for his or her life, that’s going to really feel actually actual for me within the second. I don’t know what it’s about that that’s so enjoyable for me to play, however it’s extremely cathartic to let all of it out and scream and cry and claw and attempt to survive. I really like characters who’re survivors and in horror movies, you actually get to faucet into that. And any person like Caitlyn is somebody who’s an actual survivor, even when she’s typically surviving in methods which can be unhealthy by probably not being her true self and creating this facade round herself. It’s nonetheless a survival mechanism.
What do you consider the scream queen title followers have bestowed on you?
I’m so honored to be referred to as a queen of any form. I really like horror movies. I couldn’t presumably not love being referred to as that. It’s an absolute honor. I could also be doing much less horror movies lately, so I don’t know if I’m nonetheless a scream queen, however I nonetheless dabble in it. I nonetheless take pleasure in it, so anybody who desires to name me that, I’ll fortunately take it.
Is there a horror film that you’d wish to revisit for a sequel?
10 Cloverfield Lane was a lot enjoyable to shoot. I’ve at all times thought that may be so enjoyable to do a sequel to see the place she is now, and what occurred after that. On the time, we have been at all times speaking about it. And it felt like you might do a sequel that’s instantly after. Is she off combating aliens? What’s occurring? I’m unsure in case you have been to do a sequel 10 years on what that may be, however it will be attention-grabbing.
It’s not a horror film, however I’m positive Scott Pilgrim vs. the World comes up so much as a film followers will typically ask you about. Did you count on that movie to have the legacy it does now?
I at all times anticipated it to do effectively as a result of it’s an unbelievable movie. So it was an actual shock when it got here out, and it wasn’t thought-about to have performed effectively. In that second, you go, “Wow, individuals didn’t see it.” You’re disillusioned, and you progress on to the following factor. So I don’t suppose in that second, I used to be anticipating it to be what it’s now, however on the similar time, I’m not stunned, as a result of good artwork at all times finds a manner and finds an viewers, and it’s undeniably an ideal movie. So it’s a very good testomony that once you make nice work, don’t fear about what occurs. You don’t know instantly in case you’re in it for the lengthy sport. I really like that it continues discovering audiences.
Has your son seen something you’ve been in but?
He’s seen little snippets of Ahsoka, so he’s accustomed to me inexperienced, however I really feel like he may suppose that’s all I do. Simply be inexperienced after I go to work. I wish to present him another issues. I’d like to indicate him Sky Excessive, as a result of that’s type of the one family-friendly movie I’ve actually performed. . Possibly quickly he’ll be into that, however I don’t know. He may simply discover it odd that I’m within the film, and he additionally may probably not consider that it’s me as a result of I’m a lot youthful.
Talking of Ahsoka, is there something you’ll be able to say concerning the new season?
We simply completed filming. We have been engaged on it for six months in London and simply wrapped per week and a half in the past. I can say that I’m drained. In order that’s slightly trace that we have been working arduous on that. But it surely’s simply extremely enjoyable, and it was so epic. I can’t look ahead to individuals to see it. It’s an extremely bold season. So there’s so much to see.
How does it examine to the primary season?
It’s simply a lot greater in scope. I can’t give any particulars away, actually, however I used to be blown away by the size of it. So I’m actually wanting ahead to shocking individuals with that. It’s going to be actually cool.
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle streams on Hulu.
