As technology has advanced, it's become much easier to get from one place to another with apps like Uber and Lyft. Getting in a car with a stranger can have deadly consequences, so naturally this new form of transportation has started to inspire a number of horror films.
Rideshare, Driver, and Fox Hunt Drive are just a few of the titles that fit the bill, and now Dawn has officially joined the fray. The movie follows the titular female serial killer that claims her victims by picking up unsuspecting rideshare passengers and dealing out her own twisted form of justice.
We were able to speak with Dawn actress herself Jackie Moore as well as fellow lead actor Jared Cohn about their experience with the film. Additionally, we gleaned a lot more about the underlying meaning of the plot during our chat.
Check out the audio version of my interview with Dawn stars Jared Cohn and Jackie Moore below. For those looking for a fully immersive experience, we've included the full video interview at the bottom.
Jackie Moore: I read the script and I thought it was so cool. It's so unique - and no spoilers, but I really thought it had a deeper meaning. When I read it the first time I realized there's something more to this story. Not to give too much away, but everything ties together at the end, I have my own interpretation of it and I really thought it was a great unique story. I love a great female role like this.You don't see that many roles that are like this.
When you're doing a movie, you're always pretty exhausted. Because there are a lot of scenes that need to get done. We shot this in pretty much a week or less. It was a very quick shoot. Nick was incredible at making everyone feel very comfortable. I shot so many monologues that Jared and I were laughing about that. Sometimes you go into a movie and you know that these scenes are going to be big ones that I can lock down. And then there are scenes where you can get it tightened up the night before where you're working with the other actors so it kind of clicks.
But with this it was just so much dialogue that it was probably the most intense preparation I had to do. Because it was such a short time filming with no breaks. I was constantly in the mode of what the next scene was and how I was going to prepare for it. It was very taxing on me, it was a lot. You never know what's going to come out. I hope I did the part as well as I could have. It was a very challenging shoot but I think we did the best we could.
My interpretation, again, is that I feel like Dawn has her agenda and that she believes she is doing good. And that's kind of what you have to tap into when you're playing a killer or someone like this. They don't think that they're the bad guy. They believe that what they're doing is justified so you have to get behind that perspective and point of view and bring it to life.
Jared Cohn: Not having seen it, it's hard, because when you're in the moment doing it, I was just kind of going scene by scene. My character isn't in it so much so I'm not in it every time. Jackie was in every scene so she had the much harder job. And the monologues. My character would say a few lines here and there and I would do my best to react. But the movie is called Dawn so it's really about the story, Jackie's character, and her agenda.
It was easier for me because she had to play a serial killer with all of these motivations. And I was just playing a regular guy that got put into this situation. So I didn't have to create a character. I just approached it as a normal guy who gets into an Uber or a Rideshare. I hope I did good, and I hope I didn't suck.It's been years since I played a role that said more than one line so I was just sandpapering off the rust of my acting. But it's fun and I had a great time and I hope the movie turns out well. It was a small production but everyone involved really brought it. The director, the DP, the actors, the crew. It had a very indie spirit about the shoot.
It just seems unfair sometimes because a lot of critics cannot differentiate a low budget film versus a big budget film. So you're comparing Drive to Dawn. And that movie flipped a hundred cars and it had Ryan Gosling. And we understand that, but this is a low budget film and we did the best with what we had. It's a battle that will never change and I just hope that people can enjoy going to the film and appreciate it. There's no Ryan Gosling and Bryan Cranston, but that's it.
We had Eric Roberts and Michael Perre and Nicholas Brendon from Buffy. So it has some names, and that's how the movie business is by nature - "who's in it?" It's an aristrocratic art form with these rules. You put this guy in and he's worth way more, so you've sort of got to abide by the rules. That's just the way it is.
What do you guys think of these comments from Dawn stars Jackie Moore and Jared Cohn? Will you be checking the film out on digital this weekend?
Regardless of your thoughts be sure to share them in the comments section along with any horror stories you might have about your own rideshare experiences!
Dawn is currently available to view on Digital.