It's no doubt one of your worst fears. Thanks to Hollywood, just the thought of people breaking into your home to kill you has likely run through your mind. Even now, the idea probably sends a chill down your spine. Run to your neighbors for help? Nope, they're dead. Now, add masked invaders and the fact you are in the middle of freaking nowhere to the nightmare.
Meet You're Next, aka the next movie you need to see. (Good news: it opens today!)
Rotten Tomatoes explains it best: "an energetic and effective mix of brutal gore and pitch black humor will please horror buffs and beyond." Since it opened in 2011 at the Toronto Film Festival, the entire cast, crew, and directors have been on a nonstop tour of screeners with critics and film buffs alike. Thanks to the Miami International Film Festival and O Cinema, Miami was one of those stops. Even more luckily, the star of the film, Sharni Vinson, sat down with us after the screener to grab a beer, a piece of pizza, and talk about why she loves this movie and you should too.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
New Times: This is your last screening! Excited to end your tour in Miami?
Sharni Vinson: I love Miami. Does everyone say that to this question?
Pretty much. The 305 is not just anyplace.
I really, really love it here. I was so excited to come back. I am from Australia, so the weather, the water and the beach is everything for me. For my first trip, I somehow snuck into all the clubs and couldn't believe how awesome each club was. This trip, I just had dinner at Juvia and I am staying at Soho Beach House. Really, is there anything better?
So now that it's over, is it time to go out and just lose your mind?
Sadly, I have to be up quite early for live TV. You never want to be too hungover for that. There isn't enough coffee or make up in the world to hide hangover. But now, I am just going to go on vacation and not worry about the numbers. I have never been more nervous in my life.
This movie came out about two years ago. Are you sick of talking about it yet?
You would think so. The crazy part is that I am not. Really, I am not. I never had that feeling with any of my previous films. It wasn't that I wasn't proud of them, just after a while, you get sick of talking about anything for too long. I guess with this one, it's been such a process. First, we showed at film festivals. It is now to screenings and so many different marketing campaigns, you can't get sick of it. It's always something new.
So it's like you have been pregnant for two years, and August 23 is your due date?
[Laughs] What a wonderful analogy. That is literally exactly how it feels.
What's going through your mind these days? Excited? Nervous?
It's not like this happened overnight, but it feels that way. We went from people talking about it to commercials, movie previews, critics, social media buzz. It's like, "Wait - people are walking around right now with the masks on. Did everything we hope and dream for come true?"
Are you calling this your first leading lady role?
I hope I can look back at this as my first breakthrough role. I would say my first leading role was Step Up 3D, but it wasn't solely my film. There were four great leads in that film. But for You're Next, this is the first time I am about 96% in the film. When I read the role, I knew whoever was cast as "Erin" would have the biggest weight on their shoulders as carrying the plotline. I wanted that challenge.
The theatre was jam packed with true horror fans. Think you stayed true to the genre?
This movie was created specifically for a midnight madness showing for that specific horror fan club. They are your best and worst critics. They know what they want with the genre. And to see it play so well with the exact crowd we made it for is everything. When you have horror fans behind you, you have an army behind you. I feel like we have a mafia backing us. It's nice. They are so loyal. We wouldn't have a movie without them.
At one point, I was screaming in fear, and moments later laughing. What the hell?
It's messed up, right? But in the best way. It's so rare that you can be genuinely scared in one moment and really truly laughing with them the next. Here, you were laughing with them, not at them. The scene where they are all on the verge of dying but arguing about each other's weight, who is the fattest runner, etc. is a real family moment we can all relate to. Maybe not the dying, but you know what I mean.
Are there any plans for a sequel?
All I really know is that I come from the land of sequels. I'm the first person to think about the chickens before there are eggs. To have a sequel, you have to have a first amazing first film. Speak to me in a couple of weeks' time, and we will have a better idea of what's to come. In the original script, I died. I wanted to stay die alive for a reason. I wanted to stay alive for the fans, and also, if the movie is successful, we have the option of part two. It would be really cool if we could go again.
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