Interview With Dylan Flashner, Star Of ‘Collide’

I really had no idea what to think and went into it totally blind. I’m so glad I did. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Kat Graham, Ryan Phillipe, Drea de Matteo, Jim Gaffigan, and Aisha Dee (Sissy 2022 – our review), Collide blends sensitive topics like drugs and racism, with deceit and depression, into a thriller that pulls you in and takes you on a roller coaster ride. To celebrate the release of the film, I chatted with star Dylan Flashner via Zoom, and we talked about the film, what he learned from his character, what’s up next, and more!

PopHorror: I watched Collide yesterday, and I really liked it, so I’m excited to speak with you today.

Dylan Flashner: You watched it before me. I’m jealous! This is awesome!

PopHorror: What intrigued you about the script and made you want to be a part of the project?

Dylan Flashner: For me, I’ve always dreamed of playing characters that are a little bit different from myself. I’m from a privileged background, and I didn’t go through nearly the struggles that the Zee character goes through in his lifetime. I felt his pain of just trying to make it and get out of there with his wife. I felt his anxiety a little bit. I have some anxiety myself, so the character kind of fit those characteristics of me. I was very excited at the opportunity. 

PopHorror: Was there anything that you were adamant about bringing to your character?

Dylan Flashner: I wanted people to feel his emotion of everything on the line, and there’s just nowhere to go. Anything and everything could be going wrong for you, and you have to keep turning around and switching it up. I just wanted people to feel that urgency. That was kind of the goal with it, and hopefully that’s the case.

PopHorror: I have to say that the scene where you’re in the freezer, and Aisha Dee is outside of it trying to stop the guy from going in… and then he goes in. I was like, “Where did this guy go?” And then you’re just hiding in the corner. I was like, “What is going on?” I just had to throw that in because I thought it was hilarious. I was like, “He’s seriously hiding in a corner behind a box.”

Dylan Flashner: So I’m trying to hide what is the cocaine at that point. I get caught in the act a little bit. My only thought process is, how can I not get caught here? Would I have chosen that? Maybe not, but Zee definitely just had to go for it and just hide in the corner. Not the best hiding spot, definitely not.

PopHorror: Not a lot of hiding places to go in a freezer.

Dylan Flashner: No, and it was a small freezer, I promise you.

PopHorror: What did you learn from your character?

Dylan Flashner: Oh, man. I learned how important family is. I learned how important it is to have a purpose in life. Without a purpose, without a goal, you’re kind of just out there going through the motions a little bit. He finally had a purpose, finally had a goal, and I think people can feel that. That the tides are changing in his eyes. All he has to do is make an escape. I think I learned a lot about family, and a lot about struggle in general.

PopHorror: I do think Zee was different at the ending than he was in the beginning. You definitely see the shift and change in him. I read online that you were an athlete in college, and you are also a recording artist. What made you want to make the jump to acting?

Dylan Flashner: It’s funny. I think I wanted to become the actor first, out of all things. I was just so young. I lacked confidence at the time. I tried out for a few things when I was way younger, but I was so camera shy and so nervous to go out there. Sports, for me, was always a kind of an outlet. I wasn’t the best athlete in the world. I’m not throwing that out there. I did play in college for a minute. But yeah, I think basketball, football, and the music drive me and having that athlete’s mentality really helped that. The struggle of trying to be an artist in Los Angeles and do that kind of thing got me stumbling into acting. I just didn’t know how to get into it at the time. I’ve always loved it, so I think that was the ultimate goal.

PopHorror: Were you a horror fan before?

Dylan Flashner: You know, I think due to my dating life down the road, I became more of a horror fan. It seems like it’s almost… When you’re in a relationship or something, the horror movies tend to come out a little bit more, so that’s when I really got into horror films back when I was 18, 19. But to be completely frank, I grew up idolizing athletes. I just got into watching film and television about a decade ago, so I’m more of a comedy fan personally. I love to laugh. I love to smile. But I really enjoy dramatic acting and thrillers in general. Anything that can get you to think.

PopHorror: I think this one was more of a thriller than horror, but it sounds like you need to catch up a little bit!

Dylan Flashner: I definitely do need to catch up! No doubt. I’m a big fan of psychological, make me think kind of movies. I love what Jordan Peele’s been doing with psychological thrillers. Something that you won’t expect at the ending is, hopefully, kind of the goal there.

PopHorror: Definitely got that with Collide. I couldn’t call it. I couldn’t figure it out. I had no idea what was going on. 

Dylan Flashner: It’s so funny, too. I get to read a good amount of scripts now. You really don’t expect the ending. You know what’s funny? We filmed a couple of alternative endings, so I’m very excited to see which one ended up getting chosen. I think I know which one it is. One thing about Makunda [Michael Dewil – director], he really made a story that just kept you going. I think it’s just so tough to keep people’s attention. It was very fun that way.

PopHorror: And such an amazing cast too! Jim Gaffigan? I have never seen him in a role like this.

Dylan Flashner: But you know what’s great about comedians? Their dramatic acting tends to be really, really good. Jim is just a giver. He’s very, very easy to work with. I saw him work. I wish I had gotten a few scenes with him, but we got to talk for awhile, and he’s a really, really great guy.

PopHorror: That’s so cool. What is up next for you?

Dylan Flashner: You know, I just finished filming a movie, but I’m not allowed to say what movie yet. But I just finished it. I came back from Kentucky yesterday. And then I have a movie called Bandit, which hopefully comes out in September, with Mel Gibson and Josh Duhamel. So that’s pretty exciting. And then I got a couple other movies that I believe are coming out in October and November. Deltopia is kind of like a teen movie, and then High Heat, in which I play a French chef. Very excited for people to see that. Hopefully, it shows a little range. Just continuing to work if they keep letting me. Just very blessed.

PopHorror: I’ll have to keep an eye out for those. I’m excited to see what you have coming up.

Dylan Flashner: I appreciate it.

PopHorror: I have one last question for you today. What’s your favorite scary movie?

Dylan Flashner: Oh, man. My favorite scary movie of all time? You put me on the spot there.

PopHorror: That’s how you get the most honest answers.

Dylan Flashner: I’m a big Saw guy. Paranormal Activity was a big one for me for a long time, too. As a producer as well, I’m very interested in how Paranormal Activity did their whole entire thing. Believe it or not, it’s the Paranormal Activity movies. I’m very interested in that series. But again, I’m new to the horror genre and the thriller genre. I grew up with just my parents watching scary movies. I was just too afraid to watch them.

Thank you so much, Dylan, for taking the time to speak with us. Be sure to catch Collide in theaters and VOD now!