With an ensemble cast including veteran actor Brian Cox, The Sopranos’ Edie Falco, and Breaking Bad‘s Dean Norris, The Parenting tells the story of two families who find themselves snowed in, in a giant guest house that just so happens to be haunted. What follows is a series of twists and turns that range from hilarious to genuinely frightening. The movie uses its comedic talent to good effect, balancing out the scary moments with well-placed laughter.
Game Rant caught up with The Parenting director Craig Johnson to discuss the movie’s unusual concept. He talked about the inspiration behind the idea and how the movie manages to strike a balance between comedy and horror. Johnson credits the actors for being so flexible, but there’s no doubt the script and direction play a huge part in ensuring the tone of this HBO Max movie is on point.
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The Parenting’s Premise Originated From a Real-Life Experience
These days, the movie industry is littered with remakes, sequels, and recycled ideas. Fresh ideas and concepts aren’t easy to come by. However, The Parenting manages to tell a fresh story, blending dysfunctional family tension with demonic possession. Many will likely wonder exactly how an unusual idea like this was conceived. Johnson explained it was based on the real-life experience (minus the demon possession) of the script’s writer. He said,
”Kent Sublette, who wrote the script, came up with the idea. He and his partner had just started dating. They planned this whole weekend trip to bring their parents who had never met each other. The house got snowed in for three days. It was very awkward and weird, and he said to his partner, ‘The only thing that would make this stranger is if the house was haunted!’ From that, the idea was born!”
The Parenting Walks a Fine Line Between Comedy and Horror
Kent Sublette may get the credit for conceiving the movie’s premise, but when it comes to how The Parenting manages to juggle comedy and horror successfully, Johnson gives the lion’s share of credit to the actors themselves. The talented cast is allowed room to showcase their range of skills, being thrust into situations that would likely evoke genuine fear in real life. According to Johnson though, there’s often humor to be found in these situations, even if it’s not deliberate. He explained,
”I give a lot of credit to the actors. I believe that actors, whether it’s comedy, whether it’s horror, they have to play it straight to a certain degree. The characters who are really funny don’t know they’re being funny. They’re just behaving the way they would react to the situation. I knew the movie would only work if the scary parts were legitimately scary. I wanted to make sure it had the feeling of what it would be like if you were trapped in a horror movie. That stuff needed to truly be freaky for it to all balance it out.”
Indeed, many viewers may be surprised at just how scary The Parenting is at times. Thankfully, the likes of Friends star Lisa Kudrow add their trademark humor at crucial moments during the movie. Brandon Flynn, Vivian Bang, and Nik Dodani are well-supported by their more experienced co-stars, and fans of Brian Cox will have never seen him in a role like this one.
The Parenting streams on Max on March 13.