Following the success of Smile, Scream 5, and A Nightmare On Elm Street among many other staple horror films, Kyle Gallner has found himself bestowed with the title of the ‘Ultimate Final Boy', and it is easy to see why. He delivers powerhouse performances one after the other, wearing the skin of a wildly different character each time as if it were his own.
This year, the Pennsylvania actor has scored an impressive double bill of scintillating psychological horror films with Mother, May I? and The Passenger, where he embodies two more captivating leading men in the forms of Emmett and Benson respectively. Speaking to FILMHOUNDS, Gallner tells us how he prepared for these mentally taxing roles, and what he learned from his breakout appearances in Jennifer's Body and The Haunting in Connecticut as they approach their fifteenth anniversaries.
You have had two films come out this year – Mother, May I? And The Passenger. Starting with Mother, May I?, what attracted you to the role of Emmett?
Mother, May I? was an interesting one because you have this supernatural element to it, where his girlfriend starts acting like his mother. He's coming face to face with his trauma and you don't know what's real and what's not. I also thought it was interesting that you have these two people who are at a really interesting time in their lives where clearly they've been together for a long time. But the fun and games of it all are done and they now need to start asking themselves “What does the future look like? Is it kids? Is it marriage? What are we doing?” You throw all the anxiety of that with him dealing with his mother's death and then that same mother coming face to face with him, and I just thought it was a really unique clusterfuck. Having to dig into who [Emmett] is, and all the stuff that Holland's [Roden, Anya] character gives in the psychology exercises, there was so much to play with.
The subject matter that it deals with is incredibly horrifying and traumatic. How was that for you to deal with as an actor and how did you navigate that with your co-star Holland Roden?
When you're digging into these characters and their relationships, you really have to go all the way otherwise you're doing an injustice to the project. There's no point holding back because that's not what these characters are doing. They're not me, and they're not Holland, so it allows you to go as far as you need to. And we were kind of in a unique filming situation where I got to know Holland really well because we shot this in the middle of COVID. We lived in the big farmhouse we used for filming so we were together all the time. Even when we weren't filming, we and the crew were cooking these big dinners, so we got to know each other and felt very comfortable which helps so you can sort of take it to the next level.
The film carefully balances trauma and vulnerability with its scares. What went into achieving that and making sure that both tropes were explored equally?
I think they go hand in hand, right? You're dealing with somebody who's incredibly vulnerable, being put face to face with his most traumatic experience. There's also this unknown element to it like, is this real? Is this not real? Is he losing it? Are you losing it? What's happening? Tapping into somebody's mental health and mental stability. The thought of losing that is incredibly scary and not knowing what's real. You throw Emmett smack into the middle of that while his mother just died, and he's not dealing with that. But now he's forced to deal with it and he doesn't know what's going on with his girlfriend. He doesn't know if she's faking or if he's actually faced with his dead mother. And then he loses her all over again after suddenly making headway. He's just going through the wringer. That sort of instability, like not having your feet on the ground, I think is very unnerving for most people. I also think that what's great about the film is Emmett doesn't know what's real, so the audience doesn't know what to believe. It's not a film where you're in on the joke, everybody's left in the dark.
In your opinion, was Anya really being possessed by Emmett's mother, or was it all in his head? Because after watching it a few times, I'm really not sure. I wondered what you thought from the perspective of the person who starred as him.
I'm not sure either. I think that's because Emmett's not sure and I had to approach it from that place. There were times when Emmett was upset but felt like he was getting something out of it. I think there were times when he really wanted it to be his mother because he was getting answers or some kind of cathartic release. And then he turns around, and Anya does something where he suddenly is like, “Oh, this is bullshit. This isn't real.” And that kind of crushes him. The further along the movie goes, I think the more Emmett really wants it to be his mom because he wants to close that chapter in his life.
Onto The Passenger, I wondered what attracted you to the role of Benson? On the surface, he is a very different character from Emmett, but there are also similarities.
When I read the script, I thought the relationship between Benson and Randy [Johnny Berchtold] was really powerful. You have two people who have clearly dealt with a lot of past issues and are choosing to deal with them in very different ways. Randy is much more introverted and he's held it inward whereas Benson exploded outward – even in the way he dresses and approaches the world. It's very much this “Come and get me motherfucker” attitude. He put much more of a defensive wall up but in an aggressive kind of way, but then I love that it mashes these two together in such an intimate setting. This weird friendship grows and you watch the evolution of these two characters while the roles slowly reverse as time goes on.
There was just so much in there that really kind of blew my mind. Like Benson's backstory, creating the backstory with Mr Shepherd, and seeing his home life. it was a goldmine as an actor. Damaged characters or characters who are going through something I feel people really latch on to and relate to. In a way, I saw myself in both Randy and Benson and I think people see that as well. As awful as Benson is in the beginning, you have to feel for him and even maybe kind of like him by the end. On top of that, I'm a big fan of Carter [Smith, director]. I thought The Ruins was awesome. We got to speak before everything got official and just hearing him talk about the film, and then seeing what he did, the guy is incredibly talented.
It's a very self-contained thriller in that most of it takes place in Benson's care. How do you make the most of limited sets?
I cut my teeth on super, super small indie films with a tiny budget. But even so, stuff like this is tricky because it can get very boring. Part of why it was so successful in The Passenger was there was a lot of planning ahead about how to shoot it and make it not feel like the same thing for the entire movie. Because really, when you go back and watch it, we are in that car for 60% of it. A big part of it is how you shoot it to make it look interesting. And then the second part of it is, rather than looking at it as a potential hindrance, you look at it as a weapon. These characters are forced to be so close to each other, and for Randy, that's a fucking nightmare. He's being forced into these close quarters and into this situation with a lion. The car definitely became more of a help than a hindrance.
Watching both you and Johnny Berchtold in your roles was electric. How did you foster that chemistry?
We didn't meet until we got to New Orleans but we really, really hit it off right away. Johnny's the biggest horror fan I've ever met, so he kind of already knew me and there was almost this big brother, little brother thing that built naturally. Johnny's incredibly kind and open, I felt very, very comfortable with him immediately. He and I, for whatever reason, just had a really great connection.
I've said to Johnny before, that there is no Benson without Randy and I wouldn't have been able to do what I did without Johnny. For The Passenger, I told him “This is gonna be rough for you. Like, physically. I'm gonna be hands-on with you. And as long as you're okay with that, like, I would like to be able to throw you around a little bit and do what I need to do.” I asked about his comfort level, and Johnny was basically like, “Just go, do whatever you need to.” And that really, really opened up the door because, at that point, you're on the same page as your co-star. I tried to be as gentle with him as I could, but the scene where I threw him up against the wall, my hand slipped and I busted Johnny's lip open. There were scenes where I would grab him and I grabbed a little bit more than just his jacket and Johnny would go home bruised. I sent him home banged up, and I feel bad about it, but that's how I was. I would have gone to the guy like “Fuck me up, dude. Whatever you need.” I would work with Johnny on anything. I love that dude to death.
Something in both of these roles I found fascinating is how you portray a character and their mental decline. What do you consider when getting into that role and how do you ensure that the performance is delivered sensitively?
You always want to be sensitive to the situation, and I think a lot of that starts from the script and conversations with your director. A lot of it in the script [for The Passenger] just felt authentic and felt very natural. You have Benson who is, in his mind, very in control of the situation until he sees Mr Shepherd and is now faced with his trauma. Then you very quickly watch him shift. Dude is not as in control as he thought, and there's a very natural switch there. I mean, he says that at the end, “I was never in control.”
Diving into that stuff is tough but I also think that's the point. This shouldn't be easy. Part of the challenge is how you explore these people going through different things and how you try to understand them the best you can. Maybe I haven't had anything in my life that's as intense as what's happened to Benson, but I've had things that have made me feel in certain ways that I can enhance. This is acting class shit, but you have people who are really good at substitution and can pull something from their life and add it. I've never been very good at that. So the thing that I really need to do is know Benson inside and out. That's sort of how I approach my roles mostly, asking “How do I slip that skin on as as authentically as possible and just understand what he's going through?” It's manic. The day I beat Mr Shepherd up, I had music on and I was walking around this parking lot screaming and the crew was like “What is going on?” Intense roles like this will definitely take a toll on you for sure. The important thing is learning to come out of it.
Following your roles in these films – as well as Smile, Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Haunting in Connecticut, and Jennifer's Body – you've been given the title of the “Ultimate Final Boy”. How does that make you feel and what is it about the horror genre that keeps you coming back?
There was never any part of me that was like, “I'm going to pursue horror films.” Then all of a sudden, I starred in The Haunting in Connecticut, Jennifer's Body, A Nightmare On Elm Street, and more. When I was getting started, those were the only movies you could get a lead role in as somebody my age, so it was a great place to cut your teeth. As time has gone on I've just continued to do horror movies. I've done other stuff for sure but the cool thing about horror is the community is so rabid. It's so hard to make a movie, even a shitty movie, and you work so hard to get these things out into the world when so many times unless it's like a giant movie or that 1% that really gets a lot of attention, nobody sees them. But the horror community searches it all out and supports those movies.
I've been really, really fortunate to have made as many horror movies as I have and to kind of been welcomed into that world. I owe a lot to the horror community for being as supportive as they've been and for showing up the way that they have. It's been funny the last year or two, it has been this “final boy” or “scream queen” type of thing and it's cool. They're badges of honour that I wear very happily. I do think the horror genre is one that I will always pop in and out of, it's a great space and I also think these days, some of the most interesting work is being done there. There are really great scripts and incredible performances coming out of it. The only thing that needs to happen is a lot more respect for the genre. It's time to also acknowledge that horror films should be nominated for actual awards. And we need to drop the fake surprise when horror movies do well. Every news article with the headline “Horror is back” and it's like dude, it never left.
Talking of your previous roles, next year marks 15 years since the release of both Jennifer's Body and The Haunting in Connecticut, both now considered cult classics in the genre. What is it like being a part of their legacies and is there anything you learned working on them that you still utilise now?
The Haunting in Connecticut made money and it did well when it came out but critics shit all over it. But there are still so many people who reach out to me about it, either when they just saw it for the first time, or as they watch it every Halloween. It's kind of like a comfort film for people, and that movie really has a special place in my heart. That was my first lead role in an actual studio film. I learned a lot from that film and everybody was very, very kind to me and really took me under their wing. Like if I had questions, I could go ask and everybody really took the time to explain all of it to me, Virginia Madsen [Sarah Campbell] took me under her wing immediately. I was sitting at the airport, waiting to fly, and all of a sudden I got a tap and this huge dude asked “Are you Kyle?” and I was like, “Am I in trouble?” It was like a mafia meetup. He didn't tell me what was going on and all of a sudden he took me into the first class lounge. I had never flown first class and I didn't know that I could go into there because I had a ticket. He put me in front of Virginia, and she said “Hey.” From that moment on she embraced me and took me in and I was very, very protected. I was very, very cared for I was very, very looked out for the producers were kind everybody was kind.
I think Jennifer's Body was ahead of its time and I love the resurgence of it and that people are embracing it in a big way. I'm very grateful for the love that people have given Colin because I love him too. How I approached the role of Colin was neat too because I originally read to be Needy's boyfriend Chip, and clearly did not get it. They liked me so they offered me Colin, but they had never seen me do it. I went into hair and makeup and wardrobe and they were incredibly collaborative. They asked “What do you want to wear? What do you want to look like? What do you want to do?” And I was thrilled they were letting me decide. Suddenly, there's Colin, with his purple top, black hair, and the rosary beads that he flips all the time. Then it came down to performance and I had no idea what I was going to do. I didn't just want to be me so I hit up Johnny [Simmons, Chip Dove] and I was like “Yo, dude, can you like come up to my room? And can we just run these scenes?” He came up there the night before shooting and he must have hung out with me for seven hours until we came up with the effective voice and the hands, basically came up with everything that was Colin. Then I went on set and did the first take. I remember Karyn [Kusama, director] coming up to me, looking at me, putting her hand out and squinting a little bit, and I was nervous because if she hated it, I had nothing else. And she just went “Do it again” so we were off. It was the first time anybody trusted me to do any real character work which was really scary but so exciting. And from there, I was like, This is it. You should always try to shake it up, because it really informs who a person is, how they look and even how they walk through and are perceived by the world. And my first taste of it was on Jennifer's Body. It really sparked a bonfire of endless possibilities for me.
Mother, May I? and The Passenger are available to stream digitally now.
