SXSW 2024: Pedro Pascal, Elizabeth Reaser, and Walton Goggins Star in The Uninvited Inspired By Real Events
Elizabeth Reaser, Walton Goggins, and Pedro Pascal are just the start of an incredible ensemble that Nadia Conners assembled to star in her upcoming film The Uninvited. In the film, Rose and Sammy enjoy an idyllic life full of love, a curious son, and a Hollywood Hills home. But then there’s the unexpected arrival of Helen (Lois Smith) who claims residence there as she oscillates between confusion and lucidity. Strangely, Helen possesses intimate knowledge of the house and its guests. Helen's revelations during the party spark drama, unearthing hidden truths and compelling Rose to confront her past, future, and the desire for change. Pop Culture Planet’s Danielle Forte learned more about the film at its SXSW red carpet.
Surprisingly, the inspiration for the film came from a true event. “One night, in real life, while my husband [Walton Goggins] and I were getting ready for a party, an elderly lady showed up at our house, and thought she had returned home,” Nadia Conners told me. “It’s a whole story about belonging. Where are you invited? It’s very much about what I was feeling and writing at the time, the struggle of a woman, between motherhood and your career.”
Reaser, who plays the film’s protagonist of Rose, echoed that sentiment. “I was very excited about playing a former actress who’s in Hollywood and is married to a big Hollywood agent, who is melting down about her life, her lack of work, and living in a patriarchy,” the Twilight star shared. “What it’s like being an aging actress in Hollywood… it’s what I'm experiencing personally.”
With the story being so personal, it’s only fitting that Conners’ husband Walton Goggins plays Reaser’s counterpart Sammy in the film. “He’s been incredibly supportive. We’ve been married almost 20 years, so he’s read everything I’ve written and every version of this script. Then, when he realized he was going to be playing this character, he had notes!” Conners laughed. While she didn’t write the script with Goggins in mind, she joked that it had “become this meta therapy.”
As most couples do, Goggins took away a different thought, joking that the most difficult part of being directed by his wife was “listening” to her. He quickly (and smartly) took it back. “The truth is, I’ve worked with a number of first time directors, and I tried to bring my experience to this experience, catching things before they happen and helping the director,” Goggins lovingly said that in the end, this experience brought them closer together. The couple wed in 2011 and have been unstoppable since.
The Uninvited is truly a labor of love. While the film has yet to set an official premiere date, it received rave reviews at this year’s SXSW Film Festival.
