One seen actor, one location. The presence of a pandemic protocol that would simply envelop the manufacturing. Whether or not that was the case or not, Matt Vesely and firm managed to make the most of the tight constraints to nice impact as sci-fi horror Monolith performs into the isolation of its journalist protagonist who uncovers an odd phenomenon while recording a podcast collection.
That protagonist is performed by Lilly Sullivan, who filmed this back-to-back with Evil Lifeless Rise. ComingSoon’s Senior Editor for Horror Neil Bolt spoke with Sullivan about making ready herself for a job that was remoted in additional methods than one, capturing similarities with Evil Lifeless Rise, and never eager to be upstaged by a pet turtle.
Neil Bolt: I appreciated the movie, particularly in the direction of the tip when it started to take notes from a few my favourite sci-fi horror films (not mentioning them right here as they’d be spoilers). It was all the time going to have me on the hook at that time.
Lilly Sullivan: Completely that’s what I obtained once I first learn the script. I used to be like ‘’I don’t understand how ere gonna try this or what it’s going to take to get there, however that is proper up my alley!’’
What’s very attention-grabbing about Monolith is that you simply’re our focus for the movie, as we solely get to listen to different solid members. Was the problem of main this undertaking in such a big method one thing that you simply discovered thrilling as an actor?
I might say once I learn the script it was so moreish, and such a page-turner, I barely modified any dialogue, and the edits had been baked into the script as a result of it was such a decent shoot of about 15 days. Being the one particular person onscreen I might say it was worry at first, adopted by pleasure. I used to be excited to see how they might sort out this high-concept piece with such a stripped-back set and crew. It was a uncommon alternative and such a present. It was terrifying, however generally, if it scares you, stroll towards it.
Sure, embrace the worry and see the place that takes you, I suppose?
Yeah, precisely.
I used to be curious since you appear to seize one thing about each fairly nicely, did you’ve got any journalistic or certainly, podcast expertise earlier than filming Monolith, or was it one thing you realized about particularly for the position?
I didn’t! I clearly have listened to podcasts like that and benefit from the component of suspense of listening to somebody’s voice describe this story—issues like Serial the place your creativeness is much extra highly effective and potent than simply visually seeing it.
Earlier than we began, Matt launched me to this podcaster and journalist Georgina Savage and he or she was giving me the lowdown, exhibiting me how the interviews work. You get to what her actual voice is like after which her podcaster’s voice for The Invisible Hand. So it was taking it from there and including some issues I picked up. Even doing the voice, the podcaster’s voice is sort of a new model of a newscaster’s. Getting that proper the place you’re making an attempt to get into somebody’s ear and portray a picture with out being annoying. Which was a giant worry for me being the lead actor!
So with that in thoughts, did it make you deal with line supply another way from most tasks?
Yeah, and likewise as a result of we had such a decent capturing schedule and no different actor to show to, I needed to actually be taught the script as a result of we lined like 12 pages a day and it’s simply me. Additionally listening turns into actually arduous as an actor while you take away a bodily physique in entrance of you to react with and take up from. And even which you can’t look into somebody’s eyes.
So it was actually weird to ruminate in listening and having the digicam on you the entire time however having to let that go. Additionally, to recollect all of the dialogue. It was fairly wild to have a few folks feeding me all the opposite character’s dialogue as nicely. It was fairly a pleasant studying expertise, and fairly weird how wild your creativeness will get.
The movie has lots of focus in your character coping with private points throughout a interval of isolation by throwing your self right into a undertaking. I don’t know if the pandemic knowledgeable this, however was there something in that that you simply drew from personally?
For certain, yeah. Like even earlier than we might shoot, simply to really feel the scale of that home. Due to the small crew, Matt would give me 5-10 minutes of silence earlier than takes to get into that mindset. After all, everybody had masks on, and that felt bizarre. And having accomplished Evil Lifeless Rise simply earlier than it, which was so totally different, but nonetheless carbonating worry and combat or flight. Issues that make you are feeling delusional as an actor and the character due to the issues they’re immersing themselves in.
It does seem to be such a bizarre coincidence to do these two movies again to again the place it’s a restricted surroundings, messing with belongings you shouldn’t in each.
And it was on one set for each too, plus each had been shot in chronological order to chart that descent into insanity each have. That was the format for each, and that was so uncommon as a result of movies often begin the filming on the finish on a regular basis! However is was so refreshing in Monolith to have the ability to take that descent into insanity and observe it to the end line.
There’s one thing about heading down a rabbit gap of data that’s thrilling, which Monolith exhibits each in story phrases and for the viewer. Is there a topic you’re obsessive about in that method?
Ooh, In what context?
Simply find one thing attention-grabbing on the web and discovering your self going deeper down a gap of data you hadn’t anticipated to and really feel like an professional on the finish.
Oh, haha, completely! Effectively, I really feel like COVID-19 was a type of! Even in studying the phrase and listening to everybody spinning these totally different narratives on the information. For me, you may put the spreading of illness within the context of Monolith’s story, which is about sound, narrative, and storytelling spreading and main you down these rabbit holes. And with social media, folks can imagine no matter fact they wanna imagine as a result of it’s so malleable now.
To wrap up, about that turtle. Successfully your solely onscreen co-star. Appeared like a little bit of a diva? Was there any rigidity between you on set?
Oh positively, , don’t act with animals or kids; they’re gonna steal each scene from you as a result of they’ve obtained this stage of no care, and also you care all of the cares.
We by no means be taught that lesson, can we?
Precisely.
Monolith is out on Digital now.
