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Sarah Paulson on Preparing for Her New Hulu Film Hold Your Breath

Horror genre icon Sarah Paulson shares how she prepared for her role in the upcoming Hulu film Hold Your Breath.

Published Sat, 05 Oct 2024 15:17:08 -0500

Article Summary

Sarah Paulson reveals her unique approach in preparing for the Hulu film Hold Your Breath.
The film, set in 1930s Oklahoma, blends psychological horror with historical context.
Paulson's character faces supernatural threats as she protects her daughters during the Dust Bowl.
Critics praise its atmospheric tension and fear, avoiding excessive gore for nuanced storytelling.

Hold Your Breath is a psychological, historical horror film directed by Karrie Crouse and Will Joines. It is intended to transport viewers to the 1930s Oklahoma Dust Bowl, a period marked by severe dust storms and economic hardship. Now, the film's lead reveals how she prepared for her newest role in a genre-blending period piece.

Sarah Paulson on Preparing for Her New Hulu Film Hold Your Breath — Hold Your Breath, Hulu

Speaking with ComicBook.com, star Sarah Paulson explains, "Surprisingly enough, I did far less research than you might imagine, simply because I didn't want to be ahead of the character's experience, and I didn't want to be on the outside looking in. I just thought it would be better if I was just entrenched in her reality rather than some future understanding of what happened. I think the thing that was most surprising to me about it, first of all, I only knew about it from what I read about in school, but that's been a long time since I was in school. I watched the Ken Burns documentary, The Dust Bowl, which was beyond informative. It was looking at these older people's faces as they were talking about their experience, having lived through it, and that was really useful for me to see and hear the emotion and the terror in their eyes, and it was really a profound thing to have, and I did think about that a lot while I was shooting."

Hold Your Breath Premise, Release Date, and Reception

The film follows Margaret, portrayed by the talented Paulson (American Horror Story), as she struggles to protect her daughters, Rose and Ollie, in a world that seems determined to destroy them. The family is already reeling from the loss of Margaret's daughter Ada to scarlet fever, and with her husband away seeking work, Margaret is left to fend for herself and her children on their barren farm. The arrival of a mysterious drifter, Wallace Grady (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), introduces an element of fear and uncertainty, as Margaret begins to suspect that he may be a supernatural threat known as 'the Grey Man.'

Early reviews from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) praise Hold Your Breath for its visual storytelling and atmospheric tension. Critics have also highlighted the film's ability to evoke genuine fear without relying on excessive gore, instead using natural elements and historical context to build suspense.

Hold Your Breath premiered on Hulu on October 3rd.

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