Culture
"Being polite and subtle is forced on women," says Bad Things writer and director Stewart Thorndike.
In Stewart Thorndike's thriller Bad Things, a weekend away at a snowy resort spins out into bloody torment for one friend group.
The film, which premieres at this year's Tribeca Film Festival and will have its streaming release on Shudder on August 18, boasts a stacked cast of both buzzy and legacy talent: Gayle Rankin (Glow), Hari Nef (Barbie), Annabelle Dexter-Jones (Succession), Rad Pereira (Betty), Jared Abrahamson (Ramy) and Molly Ringwald (Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story).
Bad Things answers the call for female Travis Bickle and Jack Torrance-types to air their rage. For Thorndike, it's about the power of motherhood, a romantic and treacherous story that also opened space where "women and non-binary people can roar and roar."
"Being polite and subtle is forced on women," she says. "You get a group of actors like we have in Bad Things and they are vibrating with so much. Bad Things allows them to explore some of that."
Ahead of the film's Tribeca debut, Thorndike shares a first look at behind-the-scenes Polaroids exclusively with NYLON. The photos live up to Bad Things' promises of bloodshed, and Thorndike's commentary makes the incoming icy psychological nightmare all the more tantalizing.
Take a peek of Bad Things, below.
Gayle Rankin
This was a cold, cold day. Gayle in her yellow robe had to unleash everything outside in the snow in the parking lot of a mall. We just had this strange COVID-y abandoned shop to dash back inside to warm up. The scene wasn't about murder. It was about returning. Gayle is frightening to work with, in the best way. A “let her loose in the library” feel. You just don't know where she'll go and she has so much to give. It's limitless.
Rad Pereira
I feel a little sad when I see this photo of Rad as Maddie. It's the moment where their innocence is lost. Maddie has no game. At least not as much as the others who are running psychological circles around each other. For Maddie, it's simple. They love Cal. I immediately knew Rad had to be Maddie when we were casting. They had such appeal and talent that Maddie needed. Rad brought the vulnerability to the character, and also really had this connection to all things sensual that the is so crucial in horror. Maddie is really the only one of the group who isn't trying to screw someone over. And when they realize the truth, it's wrenching.
Gayle Rankin & Annabelle
Who can resist Annabelle Dexter-Jones? Annabelle makes unstable classy. I don't know how. From the second Annabelle read a line as Fran in our table reading, we were all under a spell. Before our first day of shooting, Grant, the DP, and I did a rehearsal with Annabelle and Gayle — the bar scene — and we were just stunned by what they did together. We sort of looked at each other and thought, “Okay we better just stay out of their way.”
Hari Nef
Hari would say "Let me be your Shelly.” Hari's secret, untapped weapon is her pain. Forget the comedy and brains which are so apparent. When Hari is sad, the world stops.
Rad Pereira, Hari Nef, & Gayle Rankin
These three. My goodness. They are too much to take in. I feel guilty about how cold it was. And how much they gave.
Grant Greenberg & Stewart Thorndike
This is me and Grant, the DP, taking a beat in some haunted hallway of our hotel. I love collaborating with Grant. We have a shorthand and a process. But I guess on the outside that process can sometimes come across as friction. The truth is we are pumped and supportive and conspiring to find something great and moving all the time.
