Slasher auteur, Kevin Williamson, has more to give to the genre with a new pandemic-inspired horror film. Co-written by Katelyn Crabb and John Hyams (Alone) at the helm, Sick follows two college friends as they quarantine together at a family lake house. The cast is small but mighty starring Gideon Adlon and Beth Million, and Screen Queens’ Kadija Osman had a chance to sit down with the two actresses and discuss their characters, the Scream franchise and their own experiences with quarantine. 

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Screen Queens: Congratulations on Sick! For such a small cast, there’s a lot that goes on in this film! What was that experience like?

Beth: Honestly for me, it was really special. This is my first movie so it was a huge deal for me. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into but because of the professionalism and the kindness of everyone, they all made me feel super safe on set and I feel like I was able to really bring the entirety of myself. We say this all the time but we were making a comedy backstage and then on screen making a horror because nothing will make you funnier than 30 days of night shoots.

Gideon: It was great. I think everybody had their own process. Slasher films are a lot. I thought I would be scared and I wasn’t. I can’t watch slasher films, but now being on being on set, you know, you’re there, you understand how all the gears turn and work that makes it fun.

SQ: Kevin Williamson is most known for his work in creating the iconic franchise, SCREAM. If you could place your characters in any of the Scream films (including the newest one), which one would you think Parker or Miri would best survive in? 

Gideon: Probably the newest one because I feel like Parker’s just a woman of the current world. With how she uses Instagram and the way she navigates relationships. I feel like in a lot of Kevin’s films, there’s the heartbreak kid and I was the heartbreak kid, you know, Parker was clearly a little boy crazy, but I think that she’d do well in the new Scream movie.

Beth: See, I would say the opposite. I think Miri would survive the original Scream. I feel like she’s very old school and can think quickly on her feet. She uses the resoucrces at hand and doesn’t think of texting or DMing anybody the whole time. Also I feel like the tension and momentum of this movie reminded me a lot of first SCREAM movie so I feel like she’d be very much be like “We just need to get the f—k out.”

SQ: This film is unlike any other because it adds the very real situation we all lived through; COVID-19. How did you deal with COVID and the whole quarantine/stay-at-home order?

Beth: The day that everybody started evacuating and leaving college was on my birthday. It was my senior year of college at NYU. The thing with college students that go to New York, they go there for a specific reason and for that to be taken away from them as well as myself, I feel like I had so many things that were unanswered for me and I knew that I will never be able to get them back. 

I feel like there was a lot of trauma and understanding that I didn’t get to process but got to through playing Miri in this movie. It was almost like coming to peace with my college years which was super therapeutic for me. I feel like there’s this larger community of college students that have this shared experience of what it means to have to leave your chosen family. You have just learned in college what it means to be able to choose those people in your life and a lot of people weren’t ready to let that go and that’s why Parker and Miri end up going to Parker’s dad’s lake house before Miri goes home. She doesn’t want to say goodbye just yet. 

SQ: You’ve both worked on the big screen as well as the small. What are the differences you’ve found on set, the filming process and out of the two, which do you prefer?

Beth: I’ve gotten really lucky that a lot of the other work that I’ve done since SICK has been good. I have another horror indie film that’s coming out and also I’ve worked on FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS. That shift was so different for me and that doesn’t mean that I like one more than the other, but in my first year of working experience, to be able to have this kind of range, it’s an honour.

Gideon: I love doing a limited series but honestly, I think movies have my heart. I think in a way, you sit in your character for a shorter amount of time, but I love film. I’m just thankful to work and to be able to be a part of great stories that make an impact. And I’ve been very lucky so far in my career to be a part of really stellar projects. 

SQ: I want to talk about Miri and Parker’s friendship because that’s a true ride-or-die pair. And although they are so different, they just work. What was it like creating that friendship on and off-screen?

Gideon: It was easy. That’s all I can say. It was fantastic working with her. I literally knew from the chemistry read over Zoom when I was in LA and she was in New York and I was like ‘This is it. It’s her.’ And Kevin agreed. John Hyams agreed. And that was that. 

Beth: Honestly, just so magical. And it very much mirrored real life of what it’s like to go to college and finding who you gravitate towards. And I feel like me and Gideon represent a friendship of twin flames who are so different but tethered. And it also exercises the extent of what you would do for your chose chosen family.

Gideon: Yeah, Miri is like Parker’s sister because Parker went through some things and Miri was there for her so hell or high water, she’s gonna f—king save her. 

SQ: Slasher films are known for ‘the final girl’ so who is your favourite final girl? Personally, mine is Grace from Ready or Not. 

Gideon: That movie is incredible! It’s so good! But I would have to say, Carrie.

Beth: I’m gonna go with Sidney Prescott.

Sick had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and it currently has no release date.

by Kadija Osman

Kadija Osman is based in Toronto, Ontario and is currently completing her undergrad in journalism at Ryerson University. She enjoys writing about film and TV. When she isn’t watching Timothée Chalamet’s filmography, she is probably reading romance and thriller novels or ranting about the disappointing cancellation of E!’s The Royals. Her favourite films include Kingsman: The Secret Service, Lady Bird and Ready or Not. You can find her on Twitter: @kadijaosman_ and Letterboxd. 