PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I love teen slashers. Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend… I love them all. If I believed in guilty pleasures, this would absolutely be one of mine. So when a new one pops up, I have to watch it. There’s Someone Inside Your House is a fun and gory addition to the genre that recently premiered on Netflix. It’s also based on a best selling book of the same name by Stephanie Perkins. While the film differs quite a bit from the literary version, it keeps with the spirit Perkins created. To celebrate the release of the film on Neflix, I spoke with cast members Asjha Cooper (Alex), Jesse LaTourette (Darby), Dale Whibley (Zach), and Diego Josef (Rodrigo) about making the film and their favorite scary movies.
**This interview contains SPOILERS. Continue reading with caution.**
PopHorror: Asjha, this film looks like it was a blast to make. What was your favorite part of filming?
Asjha Cooper: I had so many favorite parts. Probably the party scene just because everyone was there. It was one of the few scenes where I think everybody, the football players, us, the outcasts, the cheerleaders, the cool people… It was just really fun. The house was huge and dope, and they always came around with candy for us. Just some really fun nights.
PopHorror: That looked like a lot of fun! Jesse, what do you hope people walk away with after watching the film?
Jesse LaTourette: That’s a good question. Can we get a new Breakfast Club? That’s what I want!
Asjha Cooper: Yes!
Jesse LaTourette: I think Netflix did such a great job with inclusion, and I hope walking away from this, people are inspired to write more and write their own stories. Netflix brought GLAAD into the conversation, which was so cool. More queer stories, more inclusion stories.
PopHorror: I loved the inclusion, and I think it makes people more emotionally involved and allows for a more personal connection.
Jesse LaTourette: And the characters were so real, too.
PopHorror: Dale, what intrigued you about the script and made you want to be a part of the project?
Dale Whibley: It’s an awesome script. I read through it, and I was like, “Wow!” This is done really well, and the fact that Stephanie Perkins already had an outline for such a phenomenal story, and then Henry Gayden, who is such a genius. He took that and just turned it into the beautiful cinematic film that we made. It was a pleasure. It really was.
PopHorror: Had any of you read the book before getting put on the project?
Diego Josef: Not before.
Dale Whibley: Not beforehand, but we definitely did as soon as we got it.
Jesse LaTourette: It’s so good!
PopHorror: I had read it awhile ago, and it was exciting to find out this movie was happening. The movie met all of my expectations and then exceeded them.
Dale Whibley: Were we what you envisioned? Because I know I had that issue when I read Hunger Games, and then went to see it, I was like, “Okay, interesting.” Because you have those characters in your head.
PopHorror: No, not at all.
Dale Whibley: Really?
PopHorror: That’s because when I’m reading something like this, I picture people that I have seen in similar roles. But this casting makes much more sense than what I had. Diego, after reading the script, was there anything you were adamant about bringing to the character?
Diego Josef: Yes, I really wanted to make sure I got the OCD correct, because my friend has OCD, and I had talked to her a lot about that. We had gone over a couple of things I could do to bring it to life. So that was really something that I wanted to help bring to life.
PopHorror: Has she seen it?
Diego Josef: She will not watch the film. She is terrified of that, and if she saw me die, she would have a panic attack.
PopHorror: Oh, no!
Diego Josef: When I was working with her, she was very helpful and said I was doing a good job.
PopHorror: She thinks you nailed it?
Diego Josef: Yeah, yeah.
PopHorror: She should watch it for that alone, then.
Diego Josef: Oh no. She would not be able to handle any of her friends dying. She’s very sensitive to that.
PopHorror: Oh no! And one last question for you all. What is your favorite scary movie?
Dale Whibley: Sinister!
Diego Josef: Oh, that’s a good one! Never watched it and probably not going to.
Dale Whibley: It’s so scary!
PopHorror: That is a good one.
Jesse LaTourette: I really liked Midsommar.
PopHorror: Great choice!
Diego Josef: Okay, I’ve seen a couple. I’ve seen a couple of The Conjurings. I really want to see Hereditary. But I think for right now, the scariest one I’ve seen is Annabelle: Creation. That was terrifying. I hated it, I hated it. It was so good though.
Asjha Cooper: I don’t really watch scary movies, but when I was younger I remember seeing Child’s Play, and that has always stayed with me. I’m afraid of dolls.
Thank you so much, Asjha, Jesse, Dale, and Diego, for taking the time to speak with us. You can watch There’s Someone Inside Your House on Netflix now!
