Your Monster Stars Melissa Barrera and Tommy Dewey Talk Rage, Improv, and Women In Horror
Melissa Barrera plays Laura Franco in Your Monster, an aspiring actress dealing with the aftermath of a cancer diagnosis and a breakup. She learns how to channel her inner rage when she discovers a weirdly charming Monster living in her childhood home. Pop Culture Planet’s Kristen Maldonado spoke with the cast and creatives behind Your Monster.
Barrera is known for being a person who stands up for what she believes in, which helped her in bringing Laura to life. “In the case of Laura, she has allowed other people to trample on her a lot. Thankfully, me as Melissa, I don't allow that because my mom has always been there for me,” she told me. “[Director] Caroline [Lindy] was so brilliant in making her mom be an absent mom in the movie. I do think that helped me build who she is and why she seeks these relationships with people and gives all of herself to others and and keeps nothing to herself.”
“I knew that it was going to be easier for me to imbue my strength into Laura because I'm used to playing strong characters. I was a little bit more focused in having her at the beginning that like doormat Laura that has allowed people to step on her and that is at the rock bottom of her life. How do I play that truthfully and honestly and at the same time funnily?” Barrera continued. “‘Cause I was like, okay, this is has to be funny. I wanted it to also feel very real so it was finding who she is at the beginning that was the challenge for me. But Caroline is such a brilliant director that she knew how to guide me.”
The inspiration for this film came from director Caroline Lindy’s real life. “During that moment of my life, I really developed a relationship with my anger for the first time. Initially I was afraid of that part of myself, but then I started falling in love with that side of myself because I think your anger is a way to identify a problem in your life and to get you up off the floor and take back your power,” Lindy shared. “I fell in love with my anger. It's kind of like I fell in love with my monster and I'm like I think that's a really good idea for a weird take on a rom-com.”
A highlight of Your Monster was all of the women working to bring it to life behind the camera. “It was so important to this story to have so many women behind the camera. I think my main goal as a producer in general, but, really on this, was to protect Caroline's vision and protect her. This story was so personal to her. It was really special to get to work so closely with how close our relationship is,” said producer and actress Kayla Foster. “We got to really talk through everything she had been through and everything she felt in that moment and everything we feel now in encountering the world as women and our own personal rage. Despite the challenges that come with being a team of women, it was also such a magical experience because of that.”"
“I felt so safe and so taken care of. It felt easy,” expressed Barrera about working with a team of women in horror. “I think the crew would also be able to say that they all felt valued and respected and like they were part of the team. Everyone was so invested. I don't think I've ever seen a crew so invested in a story before and I think that all trickles from the top. You have the director and the producers that are making everybody feel that way and feel safe and the energy was always beautiful.”
That energy also allowed for a lot of improv on set. “Once we got ripping in that house and Melissa and I started to feel looser with one another and more comfortable, we did improvise a fair amount,” shared Tommy Dewey. “It became a real joy for me to try to break Melissa and I got pretty close. She's a real pro, but she I get pretty close.”
“I think practically speaking and to be like nerdy for a second, right on the other side of breaking though is the magic, is that energy of like these two people are connected,” revealed Dewey. “She's only going to break if she's listening to what I'm doing and engaged with it, so I think on a movie like this [that’s] sort of a good place to live.”
Your Monster is playing in theaters.
