‘’Bring Them Down’: Christopher Abbott Talks His Irish Revenge Thriller, ‘Wolf Man,’ & His Unexpected ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Blockbuster Turn [The Discourse Podcast]

Irish sheep farming, deep-seated family tensions, and a brewing conflict between neighbors—sounds like the setup for a quiet indie drama. But in “Bring Them Down,” the upcoming revenge thriller from first-time director Chris Andrews, those elements fuel a gripping, morally complex battle of wills. In this episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo sits down with actor Christopher Abbott to discuss leading the film, producing it, and why he was drawn to a story steeped in generational trauma and rural survival. The film also stars Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney, Nora-Jane Noone, and more.

For Christopher Abbott, the chance to dive into such a layered role was too intriguing to pass up—even if it meant embracing the challenges of an Irish dialect. “I think I have a little bit of a knack for accents,” he admitted, though he knew even Irish actors would struggle with the script’s use of the traditional Irish/Gaelic language. “It was always going to be a challenge for anyone.” Despite the difficulty, Abbott was drawn to the project for the same reason he takes on most of his work—it keeps him engaged. “I get bored easily,” he said. “I like challenges that keep my focus.”

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The film also reunites Abbott with Barry Keoghan, whose character serves as both a rival and a reflection of his own. However, the two actors took the opposite approach of method-driven distance. “We were already friends,” Abbott said. “But ironically, we didn’t have that much to do together on set—just a few major scenes. Otherwise, we were off in our own storylines.” One of those key moments involved Abbott literally carrying Keoghan across a field, a feat the editing enhanced. “Through editing, it looks like I carried him a lot further than I actually had to,” Abbott joked.

While Bring Them Down thrives on its quiet intensity, Abbott’s other major 2024 project is an entirely different beast. He recently starred in Leigh Whannell’s “Wolf Man,” a fresh, psychologically driven take on the Universal monster. Abbott was thrilled by Whannell’s vision, which leaned less on gothic horror and more on the grotesque body horror of David Cronenberg’s “The Fly.” “The transition had to be slow and painful,” Abbott explained. “We wanted to treat it almost like a disease—something tragic.”

That sense of tragedy extended to the werewolf design itself. “Lee showed me a model early on, and I was struck by how sad it looked. It wasn’t some classic snouty wolf. It was closer to ‘Elephant Man’—something deeply tragic.”

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Between an indie revenge drama and a high-concept horror flick, Abbott’s 2024 lineup is already stacked. But even he was surprised by one of his recent projects: a supporting role in Sony’s Spider-Man Villain Universe film, “Kraven the Hunter.” “It’s not something I ever thought I’d do,” he admitted. “I really did it for J.C. Chandor. He’s great, and we worked together before. If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have done it.”

While it was a departure from his usual roles, Abbott was curious about what it was like to work on a big-budget production. “For myself, I was like, ‘alright, I’m probably not going to get asked to do a superhero thing at all.’ It’s not like I’ve been turning down that stuff. I just don’t think people think of me in that world that much. So I figured, let me dip my toe in this thing and just see what it’s like on a production level. I was just sort of curious about the mechanics of it.”

As for whether he’d do more big-budget tentpoles? He’s open to it, but he’s understandably selective. “I like big movies, I like events. It just depends on the project.”

“Bring Them Down“ arrives in theaters on February 7. Listen to the full interview with Christopher Abbott below:

The Playlist Presents – Christopher Abbott’s Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:

“The Brutalist” (2024)
“Anora” (2024)
“The Fly” (1986)
“Elephant Man” (1980)

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