Based on the best-selling horror novel by James Murray (Impractical Jokers) and Darren Wearmouth, Don't Move is a new horror movie coming to theatres nationwide on Friday, September 11 (tickets are available now at dontmovemovie.com).
In Don't Move, a church group's annual retreat turns deadly when they wander into the wrong part of the Ozark wilderness, and something starts picking them off one by one. Deep in the forest, wrapped in a labyrinth of webs, the group is pursued by a terrifying prehistoric arachnid that hunts by vibration. When every step could be their last, they only have one choice: Don't Move.
Kick-Ass and Agent Carter star Lyndsy Fonseca leads a cast that also includes Rob Riggle, Tom Cavanagh, and Russell "Russ" Vitale. While Don't Move delivers plenty of scares, blood, and gruesome encounters, Fonseca was particularly drawn to the emotional story at its heart.
We caught up with the actress to discuss bringing Megan's grief and trauma to life, filming the movie's intense opening sequence, working opposite Tom Cavanagh, and the unique challenges of battling a giant CG spider in the middle of the woods.
Fonseca also briefly looks back on her experiences in Kick-Ass and Agent Carter, reveals why she would happily return to the comic book world, and shares a fun story about her ongoing refusal to watch Impractical Jokers.
You can check out the full interview in the player below.
This film's opening scene with the ghost train and the fire is so intense. It’s a tragedy. So, how do you feel that scene really set the tone for what was to come for you? And was it a particularly challenging one to film?
Yeah. It’s one of my favourite things about the movie, actually. I feel like it’s unexpected. I think people think “horror movie” and they think just cheap screams or cheap gore or something. And this actually has a very thought-through character development of tragedy that happens at the beginning. And I think that kind of locks you in immediately for the ride you’re about to go on, you know? It was very challenging to film, but also I was very well taken care of. But yeah, when you’re dealing with real fire and children and screaming and the whole thing, you know, yeah, it’s pretty serious stuff.
On a less serious note, some of my favourite scenes of yours are with Tom Cavanagh. He’s a very intense, enthusiastic pastor, and it feels like Megan just isn’t in a place for that. So, what was it like to sort of play opposite him and almost this polar opposite of your character?
Yeah, I know, his enthusiasm and his love for this camping trip and his faith and his people and everything; it’s what the movie needs to just bring everyone together, which is so lovely. And it honestly, as a personal note, Tom and I have very dear friends in common, and we had such an amazing time working together. So, it was very comforting and loving, and I kind of used that, because that’s also… he was a friend of Megan’s late husband, and you know, there’s a familial feeling about his character, about the pastor. And so yeah, I think Tom brought a lot of heart and comedy to the character. It was a great relationship for us.
You’re shooting out in the woods, so that almost built-in creepiness factor is there. But is that something that helps a lot with your performance to be in those surroundings and kind of dial into what your character’s going through?
Yeah, I think every actor would agree that the more elements of practical stuff that you’re using, the easier it is for your performance, for sure. There’s also a sense of stamina, you know. Things were so cold at one point. There’s only so much time you can put your body through certain things, so you’re sort of limited on that. But I would much prefer to be in the real elements. So we were really in the woods, we were really in a cabin, no green screens. Obviously, there were effects for the spider and stuff, but thank God that’s not a real spider. Could you imagine?
I’m glad you mentioned that actually, because of course the opposite of being out in those woods is of course having to use your imagination to battle and fend off this massive kind of CG spider. So what kind of acting challenges does that side of things present to you in contrast?
We worked with the special effects guys. They were on set every day, kind of talking through what they were able to do and how to imagine certain things. We had drawings of the spider, so we could understand how it was going to work, which was super helpful. And I just put my trust in… you know, everyone has their own lane and their own art form. So mine was to portray fear, and their job was to create a very convincing and terrifying spider. So, it was just like putting trust in each other’s mediums and hoping everything coincides, and luckily, I do think in this movie it did.
I think we really get to see Megan take charge of this group. Some of the characters are obviously younger than her, and they’re kind of terrified, and she’s gone through this trauma and now has to deal with these other terrified kind of kids. So, what is it about that that’s really rewarding for you to play, would you say?
It’s funny, I felt very mama bear in this movie. It’s actually, to be honest, a little bit rare where I don’t play some sort of romantic relationship with someone, and I actually was relieved about that. I very much enjoyed being in this movie and dealing with loss and grief and these people and healing and friendship. This is really a story about Megan and these characters becoming friends in this very unfortunate situation. But yeah, I mean, this is an incredible ensemble cast, and this movie is not great without all of the pieces in it and all the people. So, yeah.
This is a story about Megan overcoming her fears and her trauma. So, was that something when you read the script that really spoke to you, and it made this role particularly compelling for you to tackle?
Yeah. I mean, I think all the great horror movies, the stakes are high and the emotional levels are really big. I feel much more invested in a movie where a character is going through something and not just for the sake of gore and horror, just to do a cheap genre thing. So, that’s why I really love the fact that I could do a horror movie and do great character work. Sign me up.
Horror is really going through this kind of massive comeback with films like Obsession and Backrooms. And you know, this is another horror film that’s very different, very unique for all the reasons we’ve mentioned. So, is it something you really wanted to delve into?
Oh, I’ve always loved horror. I mean, I did a John Carpenter film years ago now, and it was a really great experience. I would do more horror. I feel like horror has helped the box office and theater-goers bring people back to the theater post-pandemic. So, hopefully we can continue that uptake in theater revenue. Because honestly, I don’t want to see a horror movie alone. I want to watch it with strangers and my friends and scream alongside someone and be around them. That’s how I like to experience a horror movie, at least.
I want to dance around spoilers, but there’s a great moment with Megan where she just has this primal kind of scream when everything’s just going horribly for these characters. What was that like for you? Was that a particularly hard day on set to really channel what she’s feeling in that moment?
I mean, I live for that. I love being challenged emotionally. I like being kind of thrown into the deep end. But that was not something I came up with on my own. That was written in the script. Obviously, how I portrayed it and the emotions that came out of it were my own, and I created it, but it was part of her journey in the script. So, it was another thing that I loved about doing the movie is I knew she had these very visceral moments of humanity that she could express, and I live for that. I was all about it.
I’ve seen some really fun clips online this week where you admitted to never having watched Impractical Jokers, which James Murray is best known for. So, have you watched an episode yet, or are you keeping that going?
Well, now I’ve seen plenty of clips. I have never watched a full episode in full because now I kind of feel like I have to keep up the story of not knowing the show. But I have seen moments. In fact, I’ve seen so many scenes that I have been begging James to put me in a scene where I can have an earpiece and do something ridiculous and have him in my ear and tell me what to do. I am dying to play a practical joke on someone. He has yet to take me up on it, but I am not giving up. I think it’d be very funny if someone who’s never watched an episode of Impractical Jokers ends up on Impractical Jokers. It’d be very funny.
Talking of James, obviously he co-wrote the book that this film is based on and worked closely with you on the film.
I felt very, very taken care of in the sense that when I want to go to set as an actor, I want to make sure that everyone’s vision is the same, the production value is going to be high, and I never questioned or had any doubts about working with them. I just basically laughed all day. When we weren’t screaming and shaking with cold being so like having hypothermia, we were laughing on set.
You’re no stranger to that comic book world, and Kick-Ass was almost a precursor to R-rated superhero movies like Deadpool, and we’ve got Agent Carter's character showing up in Marvel projects like VisionQuest and Avengers Doomsday this year. So, how do you look back on those experiences and is that a genre you would ever go back to?
Oh, yeah, of course. It’s so fun. I had a great time. Actually, your British accent makes me long for my Kick-Ass days. We shot a lot of that in London, Pinewood Studios, yeah. I very much became a comic book fan after doing Kick-Ass and Agent Carter. So, yeah.
You work with a little bit of fake blood in the film, and I always love talking to actors about that because they all seem to have different stories about how it’s sticky and it’s a nightmare. What was that like for you?
I don’t mind getting bloody. I just hate it when I have to taste it. As long as I’m not bleeding from the mouth, you can put it all over me. I don’t care. I hate the taste of fake blood. But I was actually very impressed with… I believe his name is Tristan, the boy who played my son in it, and he had to wear this pretty extensive, like a very intense prosthetic piece on his face that was in that sort of flashback moment without giving too much away about why he looks like that, but I felt so protective of him as a mom and, like, having been a young person on set, I was just like, are you okay? Are you comfortable? Like, do you need anything? And he was so game. He was so into it. He was having the best time. He did such a remarkable job in this movie, and it was just like that I just remember thinking, wow, this is so hard for grown-ups to do this sort of gory, bloody stuff, and this kid is not complaining once. He’s been here all day. He can’t even see out of one eye. Like, so I just love it. I love it when people are just game to create art, and you know, I just don’t like tasting it, but I’ll do it.
Don't Move arrives in theaters on September 11. Tickets are now available at dontmovemovie.com.