Hey friends. Barbarella here. What happens when a producer of Spring Breakers writes and directs a movie? Sheroes, apparently. Jordan Gertner’s debut feature is now playing in select theaters and on demand.
Sheroes stars Sasha Luss (Anna), Wallis Day (“Batwoman”), Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan franchise) and Skai Jackson (“Bunk’d”) as a tight-knit group of friends vacationing in Thailand. A baggage mix-up forces the ladies into a dangerous face off against a local drug cartel, serving as yet another PSA to check the luggage tags when collecting your bags at the airport.
In ways, the movie entertains, however, some really stupid inclusions lessen its appeal. With a music video’s energy, the story moves along quickly, preventing boredom, but some later scenes make some of the set-ups feel completely foolish. Throughout the film thoughts like, “But what about this?” or “Why would you do that?” or “That’s dumb” distract me from what’s being said onscreen. Conversely, some actions the characters take prove incredibly clever, so it’s a mixed bag. Despite its flaws, I generally have a fun time watching.
I also have a fun time chatting with Skai Jackson, Wallis Day, and Sasha Luss. Check it out!
Barbara: Have you ever come across anything in a script that was ever a deal-breaker for you or you were just like, “I’ve got to talk to the writer or director and see if they could change this?”
Skai: When it comes to script and deal-breakers, most definitely there’s been things in scripts that I’ve read, and I’m just not fully comfortable with or that might not align with what I stand for. I’m not going to just do something just to do it. It’s not only me I have to worry about it. I also have fans and people watching me that look up to me, as well, so I like to kind of be careful of what I put out, so there definitely have been opportunities like that that I’ve just kind of been, “It’s not for me.”
Sasha: I feel like it’s always a collaboration between you and the writer and the director, you know. They want you for this part, and there are some moments where you could totally be like, “Do you know what? I’m not comfortable with it.” Normally, directors and writers know that you’re in tune with your character. There’s a famous story, I don’t remember which actor it was, but there was something that was in the script that this actor just wouldn’t do. He would run away, and at some point, the director came to him and was like “Why are you not doing what’s scripted?” and this guy was like, “I don’t know. My instinct is just telling me to run away.” They started talking, and they actually discovered that this actor was so in tune with his character, that he was following this character’s logic; it would actually be illogical to stay, and they were like “Woah, we didn’t think about it,” so when you’re an actor, you always want, when it comes to a character, you always to be true to it.
Wallis: Yeah, I agree. I think it gets to a point where, especially on TV, you play a certain character for so long, and you have a lot of different directors coming in to direct an episode, I feel like you know your character more than the director, so it’s important to be able to collaborate and to have that input.
Barbara: One of my favorite questions to ask is how are you similar to and different from your character?
Wallis: I think that I’m similar to Ryder in the fact that I’m a bit of a tomboy, and I like taking risks and sports and physical activities, all that stuff. I think also we’ll both fight for love. I’m a massive lover and would do anything for friends or a partner, and I think Ryder, that’s the essence of her character throughout this movie. Our difference is I think she’s a lot more bad-ass than I am in real life, and not many other differences.
Sasha: I think that my friends are my family, my chosen family. I think that’s the same for Diamond. She loves her friends so much, even though she goes into a little friendly quarrel with them still, her friends are her family. The difference is she’s much cooler and freer, and just has this something that’s really amazing, and I was thinking about it when I was playing her. She’s free with herself to do whatever she wants, and she’s never doubting her choices. She just goes for it, and ninety-nine percent out of a hundred she’s right. I think that’s a great quality.
Skai: Yeah, I would say with Daisy one thing that we have in common is that we are willing to do anything for our friends because we love our friends. That’s the main thing, and I think she’s just a really strong person. I am too. I think the difference is, I don’t do [cocaine], and she does.
Barbara: Skai, how do you feel about spiders?
Skai: I hate spiders. That’s something I’m deathly afraid of, but I had to put one on my face for this film. That was not enjoyable, but I did it. I conquered it, and we got through it.
Barbara: Good for you. Face your fears. If you could not play your character in this, what other character would you want to play?
Skai: I would say I would want to play Diamond. She’s just such a bad-ass; she’s just on it. She has everything ready; I love it. Most definitely Diamond.
Sasha: Diamond was fun. I think I would do Ezra actually because she’s our damsel in distress. I mean the comedy she brings, it just looks so fun, and also, she has no shame, unapologetic.
Wallis: Yeah, I have to agree with Sasha. I would love to play Ezra, as well. I think she’s such a bold, crazy, quirky, funny [character]. It’s almost like you can just see everything going on in her mind, just on her face. She does not have a poker face, and it’s just hilarious that kind of character and the emotional roller coaster that she goes on. I’m like, “Just chill.” Yeah, Ezra.
Barbara: How do you feel about watching yourself on screen?
Wallis: I have a hard time watching myself back, because I often wish that they had chosen a different take or that I had performed it slightly differently. Yeah, I think when you actually look back, you just see it in a different light, but then I have to remind myself, in the moment, I did what felt the most authentic and real. Life isn’t a movie, and if that’s how you would react in real life, then I’ve done my job. I think as actors, we criticize ourselves a lot. I do also find it beneficial to watch myself back sometimes because I like to see what I can improve upon, whether that’s physically or for the character.
Sasha: I think that the movie is like an arrow; you sent it away, and it’s done, so whenever I watch myself, I don’t watch myself; I watch the character, and I dissociate. It helps a lot because it’s true what Wallis just said: as an actor, you do criticize yourself a lot, especially after time has passed. You’re like, “Oh, I should’ve done this and this.” It’s almost like, you know when you have a conversation, you have this sort of quarrel, and you don’t know what to say, and then an hour later, you’re like, “That would be a great line.” Your mental health is the most important thing, and acting can bring damage to that so I’m always like, “That’s not me,” and that’s how I can enjoy the movie.
Skai: I totally agree with Sasha and Wallis. It’s hard for me to watch myself on film. You’re just always critiquing yourself on film, but you kind of have to not fully judge yourself. That’s what you did, that’s where you were at that moment, and it is what it is. I kind of just let it go and watch kind of from another person‘s perspective, but still me.
You could see Sasha, Wallis, and Skai, along with Isabelle Fuhrman, in Sheroes now in select theaters and on demand. Check out the trailer. And always check those luggage tags!
Barbarella out!
