The new film “Alma & The Wolf” is quickly gaining attention for its unique blend of horror genres, all while staying rooted in profound human emotions and psychology. Stars Ethan Embry and Li Jun Li, alongside journalist Nick Williams from Temple of Geek, recently discussed the film’s challenging production, its thematic core, and the unexpected comedic elements within its dark narrative.
Q&A with stars of “Alma & The Wolf” Ethan Embry & Li Jun Li
ALMA & THE WOLF is a horror film directed by Michael Patrick Jann and written by Abigail Miller. It stars Ethan Embry, Li Jun Li, Jeremie Harris, Lukas Jann, Beth Malone, Kevin Allison, Alexandra Doke, and Mather Zickel. The story unfolds in Spiral Creek, where a violent animal attack triggers widespread paranoia. As Deputy Ren Accord investigates, he gets too close to the truth, leading to the mysterious disappearance of his son and a terrifying fracture of reality.
The Human Core of Horror
Despite its unsettling premise—a violent animal attack leading to paranoia and fractured reality—Alma & The Wolf deliberately explores the depths of the human experience.
Nick Williams: This movie has several different kinds of horror genres influencing it, but at the core, the movie is rooted in real, base human emotions and psychology. Can you tell me a bit about what each of your characters was drawing on when it comes to that?
Ethan Embry: I love hearing that you picked that up because that’s basically — we had a very truncated, is that the right word, shooting schedule. We filmed this in 17 days, and the process of making the movie was: go to Michael, the director’s, house the night before, have dinner, talk about the next day’s work, and that’s what he talked about. Like, what this means on a human emotional level, and even when it gets weird and wild, what the weird, wild stuff represents in terms of the human experience. My main focus was the ego, particularly the male ego, and while it can be an incredible thing, it can also be the most poisonous thing on this planet. I think that we all have both aspects of that in ourselves, and this story is what happens when you let the ego drive.
Li Jun Li: Alma is a projected self of Ren; she’s everything that he either thinks he is currently or wants to be, and she is a reflection of all of the emotions that he has fought to numb over the last years, or the many emotions that he’s already incapable of accessing. She’s kind of this vehicle that he uses to open himself up to be able to access his emotions.
Ethan Embry: It’s weird, it’s like she is what he wants to be, but also at the same time, the way he can achieve what he wants. Like, by helping her, maybe he can become the person he believes he is, but at the same time, it’s weird, man, it’s weird.
The Wild Ride of Adulthood and Acting as Therapy
Ethan Embry, known for earlier roles with a “youthful innocence,” embraced the dark struggles of Ren in “Alma & The Wolf”. Li Jun Li, coming off another unique horror film, “Sinners”, was drawn to the role of Alma because of the character’s stark contrast to her own personality.
Nick Williams: Ethan, I’ve been a fan of your career, and a lot of your earlier roles kind of had that youthful innocence to it, but a role like this, a character like Ren, has so many dark struggles, like you’re saying, when it comes to like the ego. How was your experience taking on a role like this?
Ethan Embry: I loved it. I was very excited to be invited to be a part of it. A lot of that was motivated by the challenge of completing the project. When you’re young, that’s the beauty of youth; I was cheerful when I was young, I was young. We’ve had a wild human experience over the last 35 years, and if you’re paying attention, being an adult is a wild place. Being an adult man is a wild place. I like jobs that force me to look at my own choices and my own behavior, my own wrongs, because I think acting is the greatest therapy group you could ever have because it forces you to look at yourself. My process, anyway, I have to identify with, forces me to look at the places that usually I try to ignore, that I don’t pay attention to.
Nick Williams: Li, you’re coming off of another unique horror movie, Sinners, and you were fantastic in it. These two movies are vastly different, even though they would be categorized in a similar genre. Could you tell me what drew you to this role, to Alma?
Li Jun Li: I loved that she is everything that I’m not as Lely. I am very attracted to the fact that she’s got an innocence to her; she is uninhibited and she’s spicy and a bit of a spitfire. I like that ultimately she is kind of the voice of — not the voice of reason as much as his — the voice of Ren’s reality in the end, and I love psychological thrillers, so I was very sold on the big twist. That was kind of the seal.
Finding Laughter in the Darkness
Surprisingly, the film also incorporates elements of dark humor. Ethan Embry shared his ongoing “running argument” with the director, Michael, asserting that the film is “actually a comedy“. The practical effects and makeup also add to its unique blend of humor and horror.
(Ethan to Nick) Was there any comedy in it for you?
Nick Williams: I mean, in a way, kind of a dark, dark humor with that. You know what I mean? Like, even though there’s a lot of serious tones constantly throughout this, there’s still kind of that… Yeah, there’s that dark humor aspect.
Ethan Embry: I have a running argument with Michael, our director, that this is actually a comedy, and every time I would tell him, he’s like, “No, it’s not.” It’s like, Michael, yes it is, just a really dark comedy, really dark.
Nick Williams: And with those, like, with the practical effects, with the practical effects and makeup, it’s both like crazy and that kind of also adds to the tangibility, but also the humor and horror all in one. But how did that inform your performances?
Ethan Embry: For me, anyway, and I think it’s safe to assume for Li Li also, is it’s always driven, even when you do the most broad stuff, you try to drive it in a base of reality. You let the situation do the work if it’s comedic, and especially with something like this, because it is more based on emotional and psychological elements than anything else. But, you know, that’s one of the things I loved about it, that like our dinner together, when we have the date, there’s comedy in there. Kevin, he’s a fantastic comedian. Michael’s past is comedy. The practical effects, like you mentioned, so giving the audience the license to also laugh during this horrific experience. I like mixing them, I like blending them together like that.
“Alma and the Wolf” will be in select theatres and on digital June 20!
