Ever since she first appeared in Wolf Lake and Final Destination 3, Mary Elizabeth Winstead has been called the ‘Scream Queen’, a term used for any iconic horror film performer. Even after two decades have passed, she has still managed to deliver a performance that justifies the tag and proves that she is an artist beyond that. His new film, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, is a case in point. Ahead of the film’s release, the actor and his co-star, Maika Monroe, spoke to Hindustan Times about their roles and experiences in the horror genre in general.
Why is the hand that rocks the cradle relevant
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a loose remake of the 1992 film of the same title and stars Mary as a suburban mother who hires a nanny (Maika) for her two children, before she discovers that the woman is hiding a dark secret. Psychological horror is built on the theme of obsession and lies. Mary says she can oddly relate to some aspects of it. “Thankfully, I never had the experience that Caitlin (her character) had in this movie. But I have micro-miniature versions of it that I can relate to and bring into it. There were situations in my life where I didn’t set very good boundaries with another person and allowed them to get close to me too quickly, before I really got to know everything about them. So, I’ve definitely had experiences where I’ve realized that this person is actually, in some way, Part of my life, and I don’t really know how that happened. It blinded me. And then trying to free yourself from that is really hard,” she says.
Maika goes from prey to hunter
Like Mary, Maika Monroe also made her mark in the horror genre, starring in popular hits like Villain and Longlegs. But where in those films she was the victim of the villain’s wrath, here she is the aggressor. Talking about the transformation, the actor says, “It was lovely. I loved every moment of it. I am addicted to running and I really enjoyed this role. There were unique challenges, but this was completely different.”
Mary admits that being a mother made it somewhat easier to highlight those fears and anxieties in her character because she sees a stranger around her children in the film. “Instead of being exasperating, it made it easier to play it in a way because it didn’t take me as long to imagine what it would feel like in that scenario,” she says, “If I had done this film before I became a mother, hopefully I would still be able to do it. But something about being a mother made it incredibly easy to approach this character in terms of her fears about her children and her anxieties, all of those things.” What this character was going through.”
On being called ‘scream queen’
Mary and Maika have both been called ‘scream queens’ during their careers, and both actors say they love the phrase. “To me, it never feels negative. When people are using that phrase it always feels like it’s coming from a place of love. So, I think as long as it’s coming from a place of appreciation, I welcome it. And I think that’s really cute,” says Mary.
Maika echoed the same sentiment and added, “I’m really proud of the many horror films I’ve been in. I think they’re really good and I’m lucky to be a part of them. The fans of the horror genre are so special, and they’re so dedicated that I feel lucky to have this love.”
Directed by Michel Garza Cervera, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle also stars Raul Castillo and Martin. The film was released on Hulu in the US and is streaming on JioHotstar in India.
