In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo has no words to describe the apocalyptic thriller “Azrael.” The film takes place in a silent world where a devout matriarchal society relentlessly pursues a young woman, Azrael, who has escaped their captivity. Once recaptured, she faces a grim fate—destined to be sacrificed to an ancient force lurking in the wilderness. The E.L. Katz (“Teacup”) film stars Samara Weaving, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Katarina Unt, and more.
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Star of the film Samara Weaving joins the podcast to discuss her role in the religious survival film. While Weaving is no stranger to survival horror (“Ready or Not”), she admitted that “Azrael” enticed her because it brought a whole new set of challenges to the table.
“If it’s good, I’m going to do it. And I think just the challenge of [‘Azrael’] was really exciting,” Weaving said. “It was just such a weird preparation process and filming process because there wasn’t [any dialogue]. All the scenes were just with your body and your movement and trying to portray emotions just with you, and it’s very vulnerable, weird, strange.”
“Azrael” was filmed in a cold Estonian forest in the middle of nowhere, and while that sounds like a difficult shoot, Weaving was more than prepared for the conditions.
“I read the script; I knew what the plan was. I was like, ‘This is going to suck.’ Like, this is just going to be a bit shit,” Weaving admitted. “It’s going to be cold. It’s going to be muddy. I’m not going to be wearing much. In fact, in my wardrobe, I had so many thermals on underneath that on the weekends when we’d all go out and hang out, everyone was like, ‘Oh, you’re like much smaller than we [thought].’ I was just covered in thermals, just like rolling around. But yeah, there was something kind of like I just set my expectations in a really manageable way where I was like, ‘It’s just going to be what it is.’ And then everything, I think, because I did that when I got there, I could just have a really good time. Because I was like, yeah, we knew this would be like, ‘Are we surprised that it’s four in the morning in a forest? No. OK.’ And just that sense of camaraderie. We’re all in this together. We all decided to do this. Let’s make something really special. Otherwise, what are we doing here?”
Weaving stole the show as Grace in the Radio Silence-directed horror-thriller, “Ready or Not,” which saw her fending off a family of Satan-worshipping elites. The film has only grown in popularity in the years since its release, prompting calls from fans for a sequel. The fans may not have to wait much longer, as the long-gestating sequel could finally be shooting next year.
“Yeah, everyone’s the same. I think we’re on,” Weaving said. “I don’t know [when it shoots]. I just got back from Kentucky shooting, and I’m like, ‘I need to make so many calls.’ Like, I don’t know what my life is. But I think we’ve definitely had handshakes about it. But I don’t know if I’ve signed anything. But we’ll see. I mean, whatever we want to do, we’ve got to do it. We’ve got to figure it out.”
The Playlist Presents – Samara Weaving’s Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:
1.) “Dinner in America” (2020) – Directed By Adam Rehmeier
2.) “Petrov’s Flu” (2021) – Directed By Kirill Serebrennikov
3.) “Escape at Dannemora” (2018) – Directed By Ben Stiller
“Azrael” is in limited theaters on Friday, September 27, via IFC Films. You can listen to the full interview below:
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