Sari Arambulo and Molly Brown are on opposite sides of a murderous world inBloody Axe Wound. After a variety of smaller roles in everything from ABC’sThe MiddletoGirl Meets World, Arambulo broke out in the NBC and Peacock comedyA.P. Bioas Grace, while also having appeared inThe L Word: Generation Q. Brown similarly got her start with small supporting roles in a variety of TV shows before holding a more recurring role in CBS and Paramount+‘sEvil, while also landing the major role of Debra Morgan inthe newly releasedDexter: Original Sin.
Arambulo stars inBloody Axe Woundas Abbie Bladecut, the daughter of serial slasher Roger Bladecut who aspires to follow in his footsteps and become Clover Falls’ next star slasher. In an effort to learn his ways, she goes undercover at the local high school, where she meets Brown’s Sam Crane, a rebellious teen who practically runs the school. However, when Roger continues to doubt Abbie, and Abbie finds herself drawn to Sam in a way in which she doesn’t want to murder her, things become far more complicated than she anticipated.
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Alongside Arambulo and Brown, the ensembleBloody Axe Woundcast includesFire Countrystar Billy Burkeas Roger, fellowA.P. Bioalum Eddie Leavy, Sage Spielman, Margot Anderson-Song, Matt Hopkins, David Littleton andThe Walking Dead’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan as another star serial slasher, Butch Slater. Morgan also produced the movie with his wife and production partner Hilarie Burton, withUncle Peckerhead’s Matthew John Lawrence writing and directing the horror comedy.
Ahead of the movie’s release,ScreenRantinterviewed Sari Arambulo and Molly Brown to discussBloody Axe Wound, what drew them to the wild horror comedy, Lawrence’s vast worldbuilding he shared with them, their character arcs, Arambulo reuniting with Leavy, and the unique relationship Abbie and Sam form as the film progresses.
“There’s so much more to the world than we really get to see…”
ScreenRant: I’m really excited to chat about this movie. I watched it the other day, and it’s such a funny, wild twist on the horror genre. Sari, if you’d like to start and then Molly, what was it about this concept and this film that really drew you both to want to be a part of it?
Sari Arambulo: Yeah, first of all, the concept is so original. Matt, the writer/director, is just such a genius with coming up with this world. We talked extensively about it, and he has talked about his writing process, and he has pages and pages of worldbuilding. There’s so much more to the world than we really get to see, and there’s more to come from him, always.
So first of all, the world that he built, I just think it’s such a strong concept right off the bat, and then being able to blend genres so seamlessly with horror plus comedy. I come from more of a comedic background, so being able to get the chance to do something that was more in this horror space really spoke to me, for sure.
Molly Brown: Yeah, for me, it was the concept as well. I had never read a script like that, and the most similar thing I could compare it to in my head is Cabin in the Woods, which, to me, if you’re in the same kind of genre-bending thing, [that’s exciting]. I think we lean more into the comedy side of it than the horror side. I also then watched Matt’s first film, Uncle Peckerhead, and laughed out loud. That film is also so funny. It’s another thing of, like, this guy who’s a monster, but kind of doesn’t want to be one.
He’s also just really nice. I really like Matt’s sense of humor, and I really liked how fleshed out these characters were, and the whole world. I could tell from talking to Matt, too, when we met about the project that, like, Sari said, there’s so much that he has, like, sequels and prequels that he’d love to do for this. When you get a chance to be part of something that feels so vibrant and colorful, it’s easy to fall in love with being part of that.
“…it was just such an amazing role to really sink my teeth into…”
Sari, I’d like to turn to you next because Molly mentionedUncle Peckerheadbeing this monster who wants to be better. And that’s something I find so interesting about Abbie is that, as she sort of embroils herself more in this high school world, she moves away from wanting to be this slasher serial killer. What is that like for you, from the performance side of things, trying to really embody that as production and as the story goes on?
Sari Arambulo: Yeah, it was just such an amazing role to really sink my teeth into, because she really goes on this journey of like, “This is the world that she’s grown up with and in, and this is all she knows.” She has such a strong relationship with her father, and Matt and I talked about this a lot of like how long they’ve had this business. This is her whole life, and this is all she knows. And then meeting Sam and going to this high school completely turns that on its head, and she gets to question everything that she’s known. I just find that part of the story so refreshing. And I’m a huge fan of coming-of-age films and films about self-discovery. So really getting to follow that trajectory, and explore her curiosity, like, “Why are things the way they are?” and really questioning, that was really fun for me to play into.
Arambulo & Brown’s Dynamic Was Just As Impactful As Abbie & Sam’s
“…I’ve never become quicker friends with anyone on set.”
Molly, I’ll turn back to you to start, and then Sari, if you’d like to add on to it, please do, because I’d love to hear about building that connection with one another for your characters, since that is not only part of Abbie’s journey, but also part of Sam’s journey, and really just as much the heart of what this story is.
Molly Brown: I think that Sari and I are just two of those people that we’re going to like each other regardless of where we met. It is just such a lucky thing. I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many really cool people, but I think that even if you like someone, you don’t automatically know, like, “Oh, this is a lifelong friend.”
And I think that it was just clear when I met Sari, we have so much in common, we’re actors, but we make our own work, as well. We write, we direct, we are just so like-minded in certain ways. And for Sari, especially, I knew that she was getting herself into something a bit more [involved]. She worked every single day on this film, every single day she didn’t have a single day off, and I had several. [Laughs]
Sari Arambulo: Molly had the perfect schedule, and we talked about that. [Laughs]
Molly Brown: I really had a wonderful time. I had just the right amount of time off. And I hope that you would say this, Sara, but I feel like I knew what you were there for, you knew what I was there for, and we were in this together, and we wanted to lift each other up. And I don’t think the movie could be good if we were not supporting each other and having each other’s backs in this.
Sari Arambulo: I agree, it kind of felt like two peas in a pod. I keep saying it, I’ve never become quicker friends with anyone on set. It was just an immediate, like, “Oh, we’re in this, we’re friends.” It was just so fun, it was truly summer camp where we got to hang out. We did self-tapes together in each other’s hotel rooms.
Molly Brown: I met who is now my girlfriend a couple weeks before we started filming, and Sari and I were both so excited about me texting her every day. [Laughs]
Sari Arambulo: She was just a crush, and you were like, “I, like, love her.” So, it was just beginning.
Molly Brown: I’m at her apartment right now! [Laughs] We met at such a perfect time, and it was right before the strike. It was such a wonderful moment in time. And also, I think one of the beautiful things was Sari and Eddie Leavy had already worked together, and they had such an amazing chemistry, and they were so inviting and warm. I think their bond made us all closer, as well. When you have two people who are already really strong, and then also want to welcome everybody else, as well, it was so fun. It was like making something with the coolest kids in town.
Sari Arambulo: That’s so sweet. I mean, yeah, Eddie and I are truly best friends, and so it was just such a gift, I was like, “We’re getting paid to hang out in the Hudson Valley, in a beautiful area of New York, what is going on?”
Molly Brown: And Eddie had a car. [Chuckles]
Sari Arambulo: Eddie had a car. It was so fun, we were taking day trips to Woodstock, and it was just the best. Molly, you fit right in, it’s a no-brainer. All of us loved each other. I literally just saw Molly yesterday to celebrate Dexter with other cast members from this. I agree, it’s kind of rare to find [that connection]. I’ve worked on lots of sets, but it’s hard to find those people that are your people. So, this will always be something that was just so magical to all have worked together at that same time.
AboutBloody Axe Wound
Abbie Bladecut is a teenager torn between the macabre traditions of her family’s bloody trade and the tender stirrings of her first crush. In the small town of Clover Falls, Abbie’s father, Roger Bladecut, has built an infamous legacy by capturing real-life killings on tape and selling them to eager customers, but as Abbie delves deeper into the grisly family business, she begins to wonder if it’s time to take the family tradition in a new direction.
Check out our otherBloody Axe Woundinterview withHilarie Burton!
Bloody Axe Woundis now in select theaters and will begin streaming on Shudder in March!
Bloody Axe Wound
Cast
Bloody Axe Wound follows the daughter of a notorious ex-serial killer as she attempts to emulate her father’s grim legacy. As she navigates her ambitions, her father questions her ability to uphold his infamous reputation in the world of crime.
