The majority of your scenarios are imbued with humor and lightness despite horrifying situations. This is not the case of No One Will Save You, which is particularly intense. What explains this choice?
There were some comedic moments and we filmed some of them, but we decided to cut them out of the film. Although they were funny, once that feeling of holding your breath set in, these scenes no longer had their place. We wanted to create a relentless 90-minute thriller that puts constant pressure on our protagonist. My last few films were funny or gory or both. I wanted to play another song.
L’une des particularités de No One Will Save You est que seuls quelques mots sont prononcés. Est-ce un défi de raconter une histoire sans la parole ?
Ce n’était pas difficile, car Kaitlyn [Dever] can do a lot with a little. Her performance is physical and she communicates with her body and her eyes. Even though she doesn’t speak, we hear her grunting, breathing, screaming, crying… The aliens also talk to her throughout. She just doesn’t understand them. With my cinematographer Aaron Morton, we wanted to find the best way to tell the story with the camera. And we probably would have made the same decisions if she had continued the monologues. I’m proud to have made a film that’s almost wordless, but I didn’t do it for that reason.
Did you have to convince Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart) to accept the role?
Two aspects intrigued Kaitlyn from the start. First, Brynn is a complex and unusual character for an alien film. I like to think she would have also played Brynn in a Sundance drama. The other factor that appealed to her was that it was a physically demanding role. She hadn’t yet had the chance to run and launch and be suspended by cables in a movie. To show another side of his game, fighting against an invincible enemy, was a privilege. I think her performance doesn’t clash with what she did in unbelievable, Dopesick or many of his films, because it is nuanced and powerful. The difference is she’s in a genre film and getting her ass kicked.
PHOTO MICHAEL BUCKNER, PROVIDED BY DISNEY+
Brian Duffield wrote and directed No One Will Save You.
Is the film a metaphor that the only way to improve your lot is by yourself?
We can see it like this. I like to think that the worst trials that happen to us are those that reveal who we are and even if they are difficult, they can help us understand certain things. Brynn’s past is not common for this type of film. The events she experiences allow her to confront what she went through previously and lead her to a conclusion that I hope will surprise people.
The appearance of the aliens is the classic “little gray one”. They are not all small, but they are humanoid, gray, with a large head and big eyes. Why are they represented like this?
Because that’s how I like them! Every year, we are offered new aliens with particular and unique traits. I like District 9 And Invasion on Apple TV+, but I grew up with it The X-Files and I wanted gray creatures that come out of flying saucers. When I sold my script, I told the studio that I missed the good old aliens. Creating a world for them to inhabit took me back to my childhood and it was wonderful.
You are also a screenwriter; What do you think of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) union strike that has lasted more than four months?
It’s time we reached a fair agreement. Us, and the actors! Kaitlyn cannot promote the film due to demands from her union and I fully support her. It’s a shame, because we work very hard and I believe we deserve everything we ask for.
No One Will Save Youon Disney+