Nathalie Emmanuel And Thomas Doherty Recall How They Cut The Tension Of The Invitation's Intense Scenes - Exclusive
Filming a horror film can be pretty intense under normal circumstances. Filming a horror film where your character is all but kidnapped by a love interest who tries to force you to become a creature of the night can be really intense. While there was a whole lot going on for Nathalie Emmanuel and Thomas Doherty on screen during "The Invitation" filming, they got along swimmingly when the cameras weren't rolling. Doherty plays the mysterious Walter, who's carrying a secret far sharper than any of the turns in his mansion. Meanwhile, Emmanuel takes on the role of Evie, the modern woman who discovers more answers than she bargained for when she seeks out her lost family.
Blair Butler penned the film, while Jessica M. Thompson directed this feminist yet often terrifying spin on Dracula's brides. During an exclusive interview with Looper, Nathalie Emmanuel and Thomas Doherty recalled some of their most entertaining moments on set and how they decompressed between some of the movie's most intense scenes.
From drinking blood to eating gummy bears
Nathalie Emmanuel named a delicious-sounding way she and Thomas Doherty blew off steam between takes: "We ate gummy bears." The gummies were vegan because "I have lots of vegan sweets around," she explained. "Our tents were often put together, and they were separated by wood, and I'd pass them through the little gap [and] be like, 'I've got new ones.'" Kids aren't the only ones allowed to have fun with candy, and more adults should access their silly side on a regular basis.
Doherty noted, "They were so good. So we ate gummy bears," while Emmanuel mentioned another sweet they ate — "the little sour worm things."
Doherty tried to remember his favorite thing about working with Emmanuel, but he couldn't pick just one. "I don't know, we just had fun. I loved working with Nathalie."
His co-star mirrored his sentiments, adding, "We had a really great time. We got on like a house on fire. We got on immediately, and it was good vibes from the gate. That made it really useful."
It's easy to have self-doubt on set, but having a supportive cast makes all the difference. Emmanuel explained, "[For] every actor, sometimes you have days where you question yourself. You're like, 'Oh, how am I doing?' And it was great because I felt like we really supported each other in those moments and felt like we were on the same team. I don't know what my favorite scene was ... I enjoyed the rehearsal dinner."
Doherty noted that was his favorite scene as well, which took three days to shoot. Emmanuel painted the delightful picture further, citing the scene's "smelly, rotting food." Yum.
"The Invitation" is now playing exclusively in theaters.