Unprecedented grief can often affect people in diverse ways, even when they have a long-standing friendship and previously unbreakable bond over shared experiences. The trio of female protagonists in the new psychological thriller, ‘Wilder Than Her,’ are forced to contend with that newfound sorrow after the unexpected death of the fourth member of their group.

The horror film thrives on explore how the depths of female friendship are tested by such pain, and how even the closest friends can turn to gas-lighting each other to ease their own sorrow. The drama thrives on the slow-burn tension within the confines of such unravelling female friendships, and how that darkness affects the psyche of not only its characters, but also its audience.

‘Wilder Than Her’ marks the feature film writing and directorial debuts of actress Jessica Kozak. The female-driven project was also marks the feature film debut of producer Shannon Reilly.

‘Wilder Than Her’ is having its World Premiere tonight, Wednesday, April 26 at 9:45pm in the LeFont Auditorium at Atlanta’s The Plaza Theatre during the Atlanta Film Festival. The movie is also streaming online as part of the festival until Thursday, May 11.

In ‘Wilder Than Her,’ Emilia, Finn, Lucey and Bea (Sunita Mani, Kate Easton, Kayla Foster and Becca Q. Co) have been best friends since childhood. But when Bea – the glue of the friend group – dies tragically, the remaining three suffer in solitude.

The dynamic between the remaining three women changes once again when Emilia convinces them to go on their annual camping trip, so that they can honor Bea and reconnect. Once they’re alone in the forest, however, Emilia begins to feel gaslit and taunted by Finn, the only person who witnessed Bea’s death.

The trouble between the three also increases when they run into another camper, an irritatingly friendly man who overstays his welcome and needles Emilia’s already fragile state. As tensions escalate and old wounds are brought to the surface, the trio of women begin to suspect each other of terrible things. A violent incident in the woods also makes them question their friendship and their own morality.

Kozak, Reilly and Easton generously took the time this morning to meet at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, before ‘Wilder Than Her’s World Premiere screening tonight at the Atlanta Film Festival, to sit down for an exclusive interview. Among other things, the filmmakers and actress discuss what inspired them to make the thriller; how they approached the casting process for the drama, and how the actors bonded once they signed on to star in the film; and what it means to them that the movie is premiering at the festival.

Film Factual (FF): Jessica, you wrote the script for the new psychological thriller, ‘Wilder Than Her.’ What inspired you to scribe the screenplay for the film? What was the process of penning the script?

Jessica Kozak (JK): I wrote and directed the film. Shannon and I met in grad school for screenwriting, and I wrote this script in the program. I love horror and genre movies, and I was really interested in telling a story that’s not just about men hunting women, which we see a lot of in the genre.

I have always been interested in the dynamics of female friendships and how intimate they can be, and how when they go sour, how traumatizing that can be. We don’t see that a lot; we see more about family relationships, but not about friendships.

So I thought it would be interesting to set that in a genre setting, and push the limits of how far you can go with something like that. That’s ultimately what I like about the genre.

So I wrote the script in grad school, and a couple of years later, we got funding. We then shot the movie last year, in the summer of 2022.

The script was also selected for the Blood List, which lists the best unproduced genre scripts of the year. So we got a bit of attention from that. It was then featured on the Black List, so we also got some attention there.

At that point, we had no intention of making the movie, and were only planning on using it as a calling card and on my resume. I was very interested in writing for TV at the time, but now, I just want to make more movies.

FF: Besides you, Kate, the drama also stars Sunita Mani and Kayla Foster. What was the casting process like for the movie?

Shannon Reilly (SR): Well, I work for our financer, and I worked on that aspect during the pandemic. Like Jess said, we met while we were in grad school for screenwriting. The financer said, “You should send me scripts that would be good for us to produce.

This was the first script I sent him, and he immediately said, “Okay, let’s do this. I want to meet Jess, and we’re going to make this movie.”

It was a very immediate greenlight, which was kind of unreal. It’s very unusual to get funding without any actors attached. So we were in a very odd, but very lucky, position from the jump.

I think that was during the summer of 2021. We all met at that time and discussed what this process could be.

In the beginning, Jess said “I don’t know if I should direct or not.” But Bob (Potter), my boss, was a big proponent of hers and said, “This is your story, so you should direct it. You’ll see it the way no one else can.”

It’s a testament to the script because it’s written in a way that you can see it visually. I don’t write that way, and a lot of writers are very by the page, and don’t have any vision for it at all. So it’s a testament to the script that he immediately had faith in her being able to direct it in a beautiful way.

Then that whole year was a huge learning curve for both of us because it was my first time producing and her first time directing. So we were in the trenches together, just figuring out what the first steps should be.

So our first hire was Kate Geller, who’s a fantastic casting director. She’s based out of New York, so she knows a lot of local New York actors, including Kate Easton. (The trio laughs.)

JK: One thing I want to interrupt to add there is because we had financing before we had any cast attached, we were in a really special position in that we were able to hire exactly who we wanted for the roles. It wasn’t a situation that we had to have a certain actor to get funding.

So the big thing was hiring the three female leads. Since the movie’s about their friendships, for their whole story to work, the project is reliant on these three people being believable as long-term friends and going through this whole journey together. We also wanted to hire people who had done comedy because we didn’t want to have a typical horror movie.

Kate Easton (KE): I didn’t know that, but that makes sense!

JK: Yes, we were really looking at comedic actors. A lot of people we had shortlisted had that quality.

SR: Yes, that’s very true. The humor is running through the whole movie, and even the darkest moments have humor in them. So that was a very crucial aspect for the casting.

I don’t know if Sunita (Mani) or Kayla (Foster) came on first. But Emilia’s the one with the darkest exterior, as she’s going through a lot. So there’s a lot of potential to lose a lot of humor with her specifically. So we thought it would be an absolute dream to get Sunita, with her comedy background, and we love her show ‘GLOW,’ so we felt that she was the right choice. So we went out to her and she said yes. Then Kayla either came on shortly before or after Sunita.

Then Kate was truly the glue that put the movie together. She was cast the closest to production. Finn’s the most important character; if you don’t cast her correctly, then the whole thing falls apart. She’s the trigger, in a way. She needs to be believably suffering, and have this built-up exterior that you have such empathy for. You love her, but also understand how much pain she’s causing everyone else.

KE: That’s a great summary! (Easton laughs.)

JK: Kate Easton, who plays Finn, has worked with Kate Geller, our casting director, before. So Finn was the last character we cast, and we were having all of these discussions about who it should be and who would fit the two other actresses we cast.

So Kate Geller said, “I really think you should meet Kate Easton.” So we said, “Great, send us her stuff.” So we were sent her stuff, and she has great comedy work. We said, “We really like her and would like to meet with her.”

So we had a meeting and said, “We would like to know that she has this fire inside her that fits the character.” So we Zoomed with Kate at like 6am in L.A. one day, and we were exhausted. But we chatted for about an hour. When we hung up, Shannon and I said to each other, “That’s Finn.”

KE: What was the fire? I want to know! (Easton laughs.)

SR: You had such a spark and zest in you that that’s why we had that meeting. We knew you could act and would be good in the role, but we just wanted to make sure you had that extra spark that Finn has, and you did. So Kate was the last one to come on.

Maybe you can talk about your thought process about why you wanted to star in the film, Kate?

KE: Yes! I was landing in New York from another job, and Kate, the casting director, texted me. She asked me, “Would you ever do nudity?” I was like, “It depends on the role.” So she was like, “I’ll send you the script again.” She had originally sent it to me because I think she had thought about me for Bea originally.

SR: Oh, interesting; I didn’t know that.

KE: Yes, it was interesting. So I had read the script before, and then I read it again. So I said, “Yes, I’ll do nudity!” So Kate said, “Okay, stay tuned!”

Later that night she said, “They want to meet you. Can you meet?” I said yes, and I was out with my partner at the time. So I said, “I have to go back and read the script again before this meeting.”

I loved it. I read a lot of scripts because that’s our job. But I could visualize this one from the beginning. That only happens for me when it’s a really good script. I was in it and felt all of it. I felt like it was a world and character that I could identify with.

But I never get to audition for roles like this, which are super fun and wild child. Usually when people look at me, that’s not the role they think I should play. So I was like, if they think I can play this part, wow.

So I met with them and they had an energy. So when I got off that call, I was like, “I’ve never wanted anything more than this role, but I’m never going to get it.” My partner was like, “Why don’t you think you’re going to get it?” I was like, “They’re going to need or want a name.”

I was walking to his house later and I got the call from Kate saying “They want you!” Then when he opened the door, he was like, “You didn’t get it.” But I was like, “I got it!” (The trio laughs.)

JK: I didn’t know that story! That’s great!

KE: Yes, it was a joy!

FF: Once all the actors were cast, what was your experience working together to build the characters’ arcs and the ‘Wilder Than Her’s overall story?

JK: Everyone met the night before we started shooting to have dinner together. So we had virtually no rehearsal time together. But I had lots of chats with each actor ahead of time. But they hadn’t known each other and hadn’t met. We had hired actors from New York and some from L.A. So they all flew the day before we started shooting.

So our process was that we would rehearse on set before takes. When we had days off on the weekends before shooting, we would get together and talk about certain scenes. We had a lot of chats about whether each scene was something that we wanted to spend a lot of time rehearsing. Some actors just want to go for it, and if they rehearse, they feel like they may lose some of the energy of the scene.

So we really left it collaborative. Everyone was open to help everyone. If someone said, “I want to rehearse this and read this through,” everyone would come together and do it. But if everyone said “No, we know what we’re doing, and we don’t want to waste our energy and lose something by rehearsing,” we just showed up and did it.

So we lucked out that the energy and relationships were there from the beginning because we had very little time. With indie movies, you just don’t have the money to fly everyone out and have that rehearsal time. So we were just thrown right into it.

SR: But at that dinner, we were like, “Thank God,” because it really good have gone a different way with three complete strangers. We were all meeting as a group for the first time, but the chemistry was very instant. Having a decade-long friendship is a hard thing to fake, as that chemistry has to be palpable. But the cast’s chemistry was unbelievable, so we were so lucky.

JK: That’s a testament to the actors – they all just came prepared and had prepped on their own. They all knew the characters.

During the first scene we shot with all of three of them together, we were sitting behind the monitor. Shannon and I were jumping up and down, going “This is it! This is the magic! They can do this!” I think that’s a testament to actors being professional and really good at their job.

KE: Yes, there was just this energy that seemed very good from the start. It was obvious that everyone was there because they really believed in the script. I think when that’s there, and everyone is so excited for their characters and the project, how can you not be in love? There was so much love flowing on the set all the time.

FF: Jessica, besides writing the screenplay, you also made your feature film directorial debut on the project. How did penning the script influence your helming style? How did you approach your overall directorial style throughout the production?

JK: It was the most wonderful experience of my entire life. I had never directed before, so every step of the way was very new, including right now. We’re about to premiere the film tonight. Every time I get a grasp on one part of the process, a new part is shoved in front of me, and I have to learn it. But I love every second of it.

I found directing to be very similar to writing. At the very beginning, I talked to a lot of director friends, and I was waiting for someone to say, “You’re crazy; don’t direct this one. Shadow someone and then direct the next one.”

But every single person I talked to was like, “Absolutely do it. If you have any interest, you should do it on this project, as the opportunity may not come up again.”

Shannon was incredibly supportive. Her boss, Bob, who funded the movie, was also so supportive and was the one who suggested it.

But it was wonderful and I loved it. I read a bunch of books and talked to everyone I could. I also watched every video I could and also watched ‘MasterClass.’

I have done some acting before, so I have been on a lot of sets, which was really helpful. I also wrote episodes for several TV shows, so I have also covered sets from that side of the industry.

So going on to direct this film was wonderful. It was truly one of those moments where I thought, this is what I should be doing. So it was really special. It continues to be special, as we’re still on the journey.

FF: Speaking about continuing the journey, ‘Wilder Than Her’ is having its World Premiere tonight, Wednesday, April 26 at 9:45pm at The Plaza Theatre here in Atlanta as part of the Atlanta Film Festival. What does it mean to you that the thriller is premiering at the festival?

SR: I’ve never been to Atlanta before, so I’m excited to be here. Everyone’s been so kind so far; we’ve only been here for a day, as we just got in yesterday, but we’ve met some good people so far. We went to a few happy hour events, and also went to a screening for another film last night.

It’s been a really warm environment, but that’s not always the case at every festival. I think everyone feels very supported, as it’s not a competitive space at all. So I feel very blessed to be here, and have this be our first stop on the festival circuit. So we’re excited for tonight.

We were talking earlier this morning that we don’t even feel nervous. We’re just excited to share the movie with audiences here.

JK: Yes, I agree. Also, getting to see a movie in a theater is such a special experience, as opposed to sitting at home and watching it on your computer. That’s how a lot of people watch movies these days. So I think it’s really special to get to go see movies in a theater with the other people who made them.

Also, people who go to festivals are fans of movies. So they like having that collective experience. So I think it’s really great to participate in that with our movie.

KE: It just feels like a big celebration. It’s nice to be here with these two women. We worked so well together, so to see it all come together and celebrate together is fun.

FF: Shannon, like you mentioned earlier, you served as a producer on the drama. How did you become involved in producing the movie? How did you approach producing the thriller?

SR: I can’t express how much fun, and how insightful, it was to be a producer on the film. It was the wildest learning curve of my life. I never could have done it without Jess.

Every part of the process is such a roller-coaster. You don’t realize that it’s going to restart a bunch of times; it re-starts when you’re in pre-production, and then again in principal photography and in post, as well as during this festival process.

There’s a saying that there are four things you should avoid while you’re producing: water, fire, children and animals, and we had all four of them in our movie. (The trio laughs.)

Going into it, I was so naïve. I thought, we’ll just take a few people to the woods and we’ll have a camera, and it’s going to be so easy. Not to be glib, but it really was a beautiful month under redwoods, and I was blissed out the entire time. I think a lot of people felt like it was an unbelievably special environment for an indie film set, which can often times be a stressful atmosphere.

Having people who are kind was a really important aspect when were hiring. We asked, do these people have that kind of sensibility where, even though we’re in a stressful environment, they want to help make it a joyful experience that we remember fondly? I think that was the best way to go in as a first-time producer. I’ll never forget how outrageously joyous it was.

JK: I’ll also say this, because Shannon is modest and won’t say this about herself, but she was incredibly wonderful. We hired two other producers to come on, and they were people who had made movies before. The three of them were incredible together.

It was an incredibly smooth set, and that came from the producers at the top. I really think the producers set the whole tone for the movie. Shannon’s being modest, but she’s really incredible.

KE: I thought you both helped set a great tone on set. Every part of the process was talked and cared about. There was so much care on the set that there wasn’t room for error. It’s like they had already anticipated anything that could go wrong and avoided it. It was harmonious.

SR: It really was. Also, kudos to Jess, as first-time directing isn’t easy. We were making a feature in the woods over the course of six overnights, and 80 percent of the story is set in exteriors. (Reilly turns to Kozak.) Having worked as an actor before, you have such an intel into the mind of actors.

I could never direct. It’s a constantly evolving process that needs constant focus. You have to have such a vision and be flexible in that, especially in indie films. There has to be so much sacrifice and constant reassessing of what’s been in your head for years, and she just did it naturally. So it was magical to watch her process.

FF: Like you all mentioned, the film partially takes place in the woods after the tragic death of the group’s friend Bea. What was the experience of shooting ‘Wilder Than Her’ on location?

JK: We knew very early on that most of the movie was going to be shot outside in the woods. So that eliminated any place that had the potential to rain, which basically kept us limited to California.

We didn’t want to be rained out, as with an indie, you don’t have the budget for that. If it rains even one day, it’s going to be muddy the rest of the shoot, and we have to maintain continuity.

So we looked in California, and Shannon and I scouted a few places. My cousin, Eli Born, was our cinematographer, and his wife was like, “Why don’t you shoot in Guerneville?” I had never heard of it, so we immediately looked it up. It’s about an hour north of San Francisco.

We thought it’s beautiful up there, as there’s the redwood forest. That created an incredibly looming set, which was such an incredible gift.

The producers then found all of these private properties up there. There are about 600 acres where people own that part of the forest. A lot of films and commercials are shot there; I think they shot ‘Jurassic Park 2’ there.

So we found two different properties, and we were able to set up our campsite and our set on those properties and leave them overnight. We also didn’t have to worry about actual campers walking in and out of the set. We had a lot of sensitive scenes where we had closed sets, so we couldn’t have people wandering in and out. So we were incredibly lucky finding it.

It also wasn’t too far from L.A., but we did have to move a whole crew up. But it was totally worth it!

SR: It really was perfect. The forest really is a character in the film, so it was important that it felt the way it did. It had to have a feeling that the characters are in this world where they go from this bar in civilization to this hard change of being in the wild. So the redwood was a great place to do that, visually.

FF: As one of the dramam’s lead actresses, Kate, what was the experience creating the physicality and action sequences throughout the production?

KE: I think there were a few things I did that really helped. I dyed my hair bleach blonde, which was important for me to helmp me become the character. It also helped me let go of how I see myself. There were a lot of things like that that I had to do in order to disassociate from who I was, and help me believe that I was this wild child.

I think it also came from playing off of the other actors, too. They helped create the looseness in her body, as she’s very free.

So I think that I had to completely give over to that and not overthink anything. The thing with Finn is that she lives in an impulse world. She doesn’t shy away from impulses; instead, she leans into them hard.

That was really fun because those were things I may want to say and do in life, but wouldn’t. But with Finn, I was like, “Bring it on!” (The trio laughs.)

JF: We also talked at one point about how they touch each other. You have certain friends who you’re very comfortable being touchy with, and some friends who you aren’t. So we talked early on that Finn is very touchy with Lucey, but has a bit of a distance with Emilia. So that was something we were thinking about.

KE: Not only was it the natural way she would respond to them, but also the way she chose to manipulate them.

JK: Yes, she knows what she’s doing.

KE: Yes, it wasn’t a completely organic thing that happened, so it was great to include that in the film.

I think we were so invested in the circumstance that (the physicality) helped illuminate the things that were so tragic, and make the characters feel so upset in these tense moments between them. You know that these women had such a potential for greatness in their friendship, as they love each other so much. But it doesn’t always work to get back to those perfect moments, which makes the tension between them even more heartbreaking, and leave a lasting impression long after the credits roll.