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\n\tUGLY CRY<\/strong> \n\tTonally, she said, \u201cWe always wanted it to feel grounded and comedic because I think Hollywood is an inherently silly place, as well. And also, that\u2019s just how I cope with life\u2026if we can\u2019t laugh at it and cringe at it, I don\u2019t know how to experience it\u2026To me, the haunting and the psychological thriller aspects were always deeply important and fuel the film. But also, some of the haunting is kind of benevolent and almost heartwarming sometimes. So it was kind of an interesting little genre-bendy modge podge that we were playing with.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOn the pressures Hollywood places on actors when it comes to physical appearance, now versus in generations past, Tunney said, \u201cIt was incredibly pervasive [in the past] and what was allowed was crazy. So coming from the other side, I think it\u2019s getting better, but I think it\u2019s still incredibly difficult, especially on women.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSimpkins added, \u201cI also think there\u2019s this rise right now in Botox culture, diet culture. It\u2019s a huge conversation. Like, numbness is in, and I think it\u2019s just because of a rising trend of fascism that we\u2019re all expected to assimilate. That\u2019s a really big discourse right now, just through social media \u2014 there\u2019s so much pressure. It\u2019s hard not to think about it literally all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDeadline\u2019s SXSW Studio is running from March 12-14 at The Thompson Hotel, where the cast and creatives behind the best and buzziest titles in this year\u2019s lineup sat down to discuss their movies and the paths they took to get to Austin, TX.<\/p>\n
Section:<\/strong>\u00a0Narrative Spotlight
Writer-Director:\u00a0<\/strong>Emily Robinson
Logline:\u00a0<\/strong>An actor (Emily Robinson) loses their dream role because of their \u201cugly cry\u201d causing them to spiral down the dark and dangerous path to perfection.
Panelists:\u00a0<\/strong>writer\/director\/producer\/actor Emily Robinson, actors Robin Tunney, Ryan Simpkins, and Aaron Dominguez
Sales Agent:<\/strong> Yellow Veil Pictures
Premiered:<\/strong>\u00a0Thursday, March 12, Alamo Lamar \/ Alamo Lamar 2
Key Quotes:<\/strong>\u00a0On the genesis of her debut feature, Robinson told us, \u201cI\u2019ve been in entertainment since I was five years old, and I think during the pandemic especially, I spent a lot of time thinking about some of the more difficult aspects of the industry and the internet and the ways in which we can objectify ourselves and compare ourselves to other people in ways that can turn really unhealthy, especially when in isolation. And I wanted to explore that in a film.\u201d<\/p>\n