Melissa Barrera on veering into comedy with new horror musical Your Monster: "I always feel like when something scares me, I should do it"

EntertainmentMoviesComedy MoviesMelissa Barrera on veering into comedy with new horror musical Your Monster: “I always feel like when something scares me, I should do it"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. EntertainmentMoviesComedy MoviesMelissa Barrera on veering into comedy with new horror musical Your Monster: “I always feel like when something scares me, I should do it"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Vertigo Releasing) “I was like, ‘This is perfect’, but I hadn’t done comedy in a while. I hadn’t done comedy, really, since I left Mexico, so I hadn’t used those muscles. I was scared because, like, maybe I wasn’t funny? I didn’t know,” she laughs in an interview withGamesRadar+. “And I was a little skeptical of why Caroline thought that I could do this, because I’d never done anything like it. So, yeah, I was terrified, but I always feel like when something scares me, I should do it.” So she did. 20 days of shooting in Hoboken, New Jersey later, and Your Monster was in the can; a zany, charming delight that’s basically Beauty and the Beast meets Drop Dead Fred, complete with showtunes and a welcome bit of blood-splattering. Big Screen SpotlightShining a light on the under-the-radar theatrical releases that you need to know about, with a new article every Friday Big Screen Spotlight Shining a light on the under-the-radar theatrical releases that you need to know about, with a new article every Friday Shining a light on the under-the-radar theatrical releases that you need to know about, with a new article every Friday Rewatching Fred Astaire movies and rehearsing for her upcoming lead role are Laura’s only real comforts, though the latter proves short-lived when she learns that Jacob, the director of the show, is auditioning out the part he once promised her. “[Caroline and songwriters The Lazours] had seen me in In the Heights, and I think they did a little bit of research on my singing, and so they wrote it according to my range. Though, I mean, they believed in me a lot in writing that song the way that they did,” Barrera says of the musical within the musical. (Image credit: Vertigo Releasing) “It’s the ideal kind of love. When someone loves you for your flaws and for your snot and for the, you know, saliva dripping like you just woke up and you’re messy? When someone loves you like that, it’s the safest kind of love,” smiles Barrera. “I feel like that’s what Monster is there to teach Laura. He lives in her closet, obviously he’s obsessed with her, but he loves her in every iteration of herself and for everything that she is and does, and even in her darkest, most shameful shades, he still is there for her. Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox “I think that that’s why the relationship between Laura and Monster is so beautiful, and that’s why people have been loving [the movie, which is already out in the US] so much,” she goes on. “Everybody wants a Monster. Everybody wants someone who will love you unconditionally, but also make you a better version of yourself. A stronger and more empowered version of yourself.” Barrera had never met her “so talented and so funny” co-star Dewey before Your Monster, and the first time she ever saw him acting was when she watched Lindy’s short film version. “I rarely saw him out of the prosthetics. During the entire shoot, I would show up to set, and he would already be in the chair halfway done,” she remembers. “I rarely saw his face until we wrapped; we had a few lunches with Caroline; we’d workshop some scenes over Chinese takeout – and that was it. It was a blessing toactuallyfall in love with him as Monster. Now I love him as Tommy, but sometimes when I look at him, I will shut my eyes and be like, ‘I’ll just listen to your voice, because I miss Monster’. I really do. With indie films, you don’t have the luxury of time. But we just clicked. Luckily, too, because they didn’t audition me and he was already attached to the project. It could have been disastrous!” (Image credit: Vertigo Releasing) Given his unusualappearance, the majority of the time Laura and Monster spend together is behind closed doors. The only time they venture out as a couple is for a Halloween party thrown for the cast and crew of Jacob’s show, under the pretence that Monster is actually just a regular guy in a costume. With that, it’s not hard to come to the conclusion that Monster isn’tactuallyreal, but a manifestation of Laura’s darkest – at least, some might say – emotions. It’s left ambiguous but either way, it’s a clever twist on a tale that’s rather predictable (as any good rom-com is) on the surface, and gives the film an unexpected depth. As fabulous as Dewey is, the film is undeniably a Melissa Barrera showcase, combining the actor’s known talents while giving her the platform to deliver her most vulnerable performance to date – and cementing the fact that she’s so much more than a scream queen. Last week’s pick…(Image credit: Black Bear)A thriller that’s essentially Mean Girls in the Vatican has become a cult hit online – and for good reason Last week’s pick… (Image credit: Black Bear)A thriller that’s essentially Mean Girls in the Vatican has become a cult hit online – and for good reason (Image credit: Black Bear) A thriller that’s essentially Mean Girls in the Vatican has become a cult hit online – and for good reason “It kept being rewritten; she never stopped writing, tweaking little things, which is the beauty of having a writer-director in a movie, because they can just keep playing right up until the day,” says Barrera. “It was a very collaborative process. Not to take any credit away from Caroline at all, because she is a genius for this. But she was very generous and very open during the entire thing, so we talked about everything.” While they’re both musical theater nuts (Barrera even studied it at school), the similarities end there – particularly when it comes to their aesthetics. “Laura is probably the character that is most unlike me, so we had a lot of conversations about her clothes and about her hair. I really wanted a big change. I felt like I needed to look at myself in the mirror and not recognize myself,” Barrera recalls. “That’s why I got the short hair and the bangs, because I was like, ‘That’s so not me’. I stole [the glasses] from Caroline. I was like, ‘Can Laura wear glasses? Because I feel like it’ll help me a lot to channel you.’ I didn’t actually tell her that I wanted to channel her, I was sneaky, but I wanted to steal a lot of her little mannerisms. All of Laura’s wardrobe is incredible, I actually kept it all, I have it in my house, but it’s all clothes I would never wear. It was so unlike my style and all of that really helped me feel who Laura is. As soon as I looked in the mirror wearing those orange overalls with the little hearts, and with the glasses and everything, I was like, ‘Okay.'” Funny bones, activated. Your Monster is in UK cinemas now. Ensure you don’t miss the year’s best films with the rest of ourBig Screen Spotlightseries, as well as our guide to the most excitingupcoming moviesheading our way. 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proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”