Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Movies, Shudder, XYZ Films | Tagged: Aisha Dee, Emily De Margheriti, exclusive, Hannah Barlow, interview, Kane Senes, shudder, Sissy, social media, xyz films

Sissy Star Emily De Margheriti on Film Social Media Cautionary Tale

Emily De Margheriti is well aware of the social media image-conscious world we live in today. As times change, so do our stories as we find more genres like horror, adapting current social media platforms and weaving them into new narratives. Sissy follows teen best friends Cecelia (Aisha Dee)and Emma (Hannah Barlow, who co-wrote and co-directed with Kane Senes) after a decade run into each other. De Margheriti, who plays Alex, spoke to Bleeding Cool about the horror comedy, working with Barlow, and Senes, stunt work, and her commentary on the state of social media.

What appealed to you about 'Sissy?'
De Margheriti: What appealed to me about 'Sissy' was the nostalgia of my childhood with the glittery aesthetic and the time capsule it includes in the film. It took me back to the themes of childhood bullying, mental health, and how it correlates with social media and also influencers. I find it so fascinating that they have so much power and why.

How Sissy Is a Social Media Cautionary Tale

Do you feel social media has been more of a benefit or detriment to the world?
It's interesting because, living in Los Angeles and traveling a lot, I find social media is such a good platform to connect with people. In the moment of the era of social media, having things like Instagram can be a bit of a vicious cycle because you're posting stuff. You're creating this unrealistic reality through filters, creating this culture of bragging, oversharing, and comparing yourself to other people, which I think isn't very healthy.

How do you describe the set that Hannah and Kane ran on for Sissy?
Kane and Hannah are such a palette. Both are married writers and directors, and they are incredible creatives. On set, they were very supportive. I had a few scenes that were a little bit challenging physically, and they were always there to talk to me and ensure I was okay with every step. They gave me direction when needed. It was great Hannah was also one of the actors who played Emma because she was directing you in the scene hands-on, whereas Kane was behind the monitor in the village and yelling stuff from over there. They're a great duo.

Was there any aspect of filming that you struggled with and had to power through, like a particular scene or stunt?
I had a few physical scenes where I worked with the stunt coordinator and choreographed what needed to be done. When [my scene partner and I] switched out with the stunt doubles, it was quite smooth. As with anything on set, things always happen, but we're all very supportive and work together, so we always find good solutions.

How do you feel social media has gone over the past 5-10 years? Has it gotten better?
It's getting progressively worse. I hope it doesn't continue this way. We're living more in a fantasy world on social media. Maybe there are some apps where people are trying to counteract this whole momentum of social media that's making us live in a fantasy world, our perception, and putting it out there because we're putting out a highlight reel all the time. I worry about the whole multiverse and all of that as well. We were just going to paint pictures of ourselves in which the way we want people to see us is not really how we are, which is terrifying.

XYZ Films' Sissy, which also stars Daniel Marks, Yerin Ha, and Lucy Barrett, is available on Shudder.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!