Posted in: Exclusive, Horror, Interview, Movies | Tagged: exclusive, Gia Crovatin, House of Darkness, interview, justin long, Kate Bostworth, Lucy Walters, Saban Films

House of Darkness Star Gia Crovatin Talks Horror Thriller's Psychology

Gia Crovatin felt like a fish out of water when it came to taking on the role of Lucy Murray, one of three sisters in the Neil LaBute (The Wicker Man) horror thriller House of Darkness. The story follows Hap Jackson (Justin Long), who brings his date Mina (Kate Bosworth) home to her secluded estate from a local bar. Hoping for something more, Hap finds out things are a lot more than what they seem. Crovatin spoke to Bleeding Cool about the challenge of taking on a horror film, how her character factors into the story, and the film's themes.

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'House of Darkness?'
Crovatin: I am not a horror person. I don't watch it for enjoyment in my everyday life. [The genre] scares me too much, and I don't like to be scared, but this script was a really interesting story about a man and a woman on a date that goes terribly wrong. We find out not everything is as it seems. As an actor, that's always delicious to have those kinds of reveals, and it's like, "I'm sensing this is not what I thought it was going to be." Neil LaBute is a writer-director that I have admired for a long time. I've worked with him many times before on the stage and screen. The film felt like a cool way to tell a story about what's going on in our society.

Your character Lucy comes into Justin and Kate's characters' conversation. How did you break down your chemistry with them?
We didn't really get any rehearsal time. We all met via Zoom and shot in April and May of 2021, after the lockdown. It was a very quick process, and we had to jump right into it. Justin and Kate had a special dynamic between them and had real chemistry, and it was interesting to be an observer to see that unfold, and there were sparks. In terms of us working altogether, it was a really choreographed dance. We were shooting all night, and given the conditions, then after takes were done, we couldn't hang out with each other. We had to be separated because of COVID into our own separate wings of the castle. It's poetic how we're all separated during shooting with the film's inherent theme of loneliness and [the duality] about wanting human connection but also being wary of it simultaneously.

You got to share scenes alone with Justin's character, Hap. Can you compare your dynamic with him as opposed to Kate's?
[Mina] is more cat and mouse, and Lucy's dynamic with Hap would be more detective and interviewee. This is more about "Who is this guy, what is he doing here, and what is he all about?" Whereas they had like so many different colors to their interaction, I think mine was about finding out how I have to get to the bottom of this guy. I like seeing that different women have different interpretations of who he is.

Earlier, you said horror is not something that you're familiar with going into this. Was the challenge everything you imagined?
[Laughs] Yes, it's really hard for a movie. It's hard to make any movie. Let's be clear. Everybody sets out with the best intentions when they're like, "Let's do the best thing in the world." You have so many working parts, and I respect all my fellow filmmakers and artists. It's a miracle that anything ever gets put out into the world. When we finally get to the bloody stuff it truly is, it was a celebration, [laughs] and it was really a good time, I have to say. As someone who was totally squeamish, I hate blood, guts and gore, and all that. Being able to thrive in that moment, it was so worth it, man. I can't even explain it. It's so much fun.

Is there anything comparable that you can find, aside from the genre itself that you've done? I feel there's a Greek tragedy and Shakespearean type of experience with the film's buildup and the morality themes.
You've totally nailed it in that there's a very large grand, almost operatic scale of like retribution and justice, certainly Greek tragedies for sure. It's looking at basic moral tales from centuries and centuries ago about what happens to people when they do wrong. It's an old fairy tale, really, and there's a magical element. The throughline with all of these things is "Be a good, decent human being." That holds true in our film as well.

Saban Films' House of Darkness, which also stars Lucy Walter, comes to theaters on September 9th, digital and on-demand on September 13th.

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