Fennell tells EW about weaving guilt and complicity into her meditation on rape culture.
As I was writing it, this huge thing was happening at the same time.
Usually,we see rape-revenge stories presented all in a very similar, dramatic way.
Merie Weismiller Wallace / Focus Features
When I sayenjoy, I don’t mean they’ll come away from it saying “Woo-hoo!”
but they’re on the edge of their seats.
At some point, it’s a ride.
Focus Features
Cassie enters the film as a strong and confident aggressor in what she’s doing already.
What’s within my skillset?
If Cassie has any power, it’s her meticulousness and her planning.
But I also think she makes a lot of decisions that aren’t nice.
That was important to me too.
I didn’t make any decisions to be ironic.
I made a film that I wanted to make, and I love “Stars Are Blind.”
It’s obviously Paris Hilton “Stars Are Blind.”
Before Carey came aboard, I sent my working playlist and mood board to everyone.
The more you want to hide, the more normal you appear.
All lives tend to have these collisions…. That brings me to theParis Hiltonmusic cue, “Stars Are Blind,” in the drugstore.
Did you get the rights to that song from Paris herself?I did.
I wrote to her.
We had to get the rights before we shot it, which is quite an unusual circumstance.
Usually, you do those deals after.
I really wanted that song more than anything.
It’s one of my favorite songs.
I guess I wasn’t so interested in someone who knew the whole Rolling Stones catalog.
It’s like, good for you, of course, you do.
How did you film that scene?
That’s what’s interesting about the men here.
Where this subject matter is tricky is that these people you love and respect.
They say, “I love them so it can’t be true.”
It’s a culture we grew up in.
And it’s not just men, butConnie Britton,Alison Brie…. everyone is people we trust.
I’m not interested in villains, I don’t believe in them.
There are outliers and dangerous people, but they’re very rare.
Every single actor who came on board for this…. How would any of us feel about that?
