With credits in films like Unfriended and shows like True Detective, rising star Courtney Halverson is one to watch in Hollywood. Her latest project is the Wendigo horror film Consumed, in which she stars as Beth, a woman who takes a trip with her husband in the woods to celebrate her cancer remission, only to find herself in a battle against a madman and a skin-stealing monster.
We at FandomWire got to speak with Courtney Halverson about her role in Consumed, working with Devon Sawa, and why she keeps coming back to the horror genre. Check out the interview below!
Consumed Interview
FandomWire: First of all, what drew you to work on Consumed?
Courtney Halverson: For me, this one was a very easy draw because I read the script, and I had one audition, which was just entirely filmed and remotely sent in. As an actor, normally, I send in an audition, and I don’t think much of it. I try and forget about it. This is one that I couldn’t forget about.
I was pestering my agent the entire time, asking, “Where are they at with this one? What is happening with this one? How can I be a part of it?” because it’s just such a beautifully written script. Which, that can be surprising when people hear that a horror film can be beautifully written, but this one really is a beautiful script that I wanted to be a part of.
FW: One of the things that stands out about Consumed is how it’s a small cast — just three main roles. How did you approach this?
Halverson: In some ways, there’s more vulnerability to it. You’re not hiding behind a large cast or an intricate set and all these settings and things. It really is three people in the woods. So I think there’s a little bit more — I don’t want to say pressure — but there’s more gravity to it, where I was aware from the start that the audience is just right there with Beth the whole time, and I needed to take them with me and give them that sense of dread that the character is feeling.
FW: And even among the three roles, there’s a lot of time in the film where you’re alone. Did you find it more challenging or exciting to have most of the film fall on your shoulders?
Halverson: It was a little challenging. It’s one of those things where you’re looking at the script, and you’re thinking, “Can I do this? Can I act opposite just trees, where we’re not really seeing what she’s seeing? Can I sell that? Can I take the audience with us?”
And I think simply by virtue of really being in the woods — we spent quite a few days out in the woods, just in the elements; this isn’t on a soundstage; there’s not a parking lot 10 feet away; we were either hiking in or being occasionally driven in on one of those buggies — actually being there made it feel much more tangible and a lot easier to draw on and really get a sense of what it would be like to be alone in the woods.
FW: Speaking with Mitchell Altieri and Phil Flores about Consumed, they were talking about the challenges of shooting in the woods, and they said the bugs were a big one–
Halverson: The bugs were a big one. The whole time, everyone was just so nervous that if a mosquito lands on one of our faces, everyone’s just gonna have to stare at a big bug bite for the entire film. So we’re wearing nets the whole time, and then “Action!” and you throw the net off and hope for the best.
As challenging and physical of a role as it was for me, where I was really running through the woods and crawling and digging and clawing my way out of there, I think it’s important to remember the entire time, there’s someone next to me either with equipment or a huge camera on them, going through these exact same motions. So I think in a lot of ways, the physicality, we really have to give it over to the crew on this one.
FW: As an actress, much of your work has been in the horror genre. What keeps bringing you back to horror?
Halverson: I’ve been asked this, and I cannot figure out what it is. There’s something about me. There’s something about my eyes that says, “Let’s put her through a lot.” I don’t know what it is, but yeah, I’ve worked in the horror space for a long time now, and those are some of my favorite projects.
I think it’s because there’s an understanding and such a strong sense of community outside of the film, too, just the horror community itself. A lot of people are surprised to know how dialed in and loving and encouraging of a fan base it can be. So it’s something that I’ve been very fortunate to get work in and something I hope to continue to work in.
FW: Are there any other genres you’d like to work in?
Halverson: Yes! Romance. I’ve literally never been in anything where it’s just a happy couple or anything like that. So I was even talking to one of the other actors in this, Mark Z— who plays Jay — he’s worked in a ton of different films, and he’s played the romantic lead and things like that. And for me, I just cannot imagine what that’s like. I’ve never been cast in a single thing like that. I haven’t figured out what it is exactly, but something about my face says horror.
FW: Well, I also think that Consumed isn’t your typical B-horror movie. The character arcs are just as crucial as the scariness and the horror. What did you find compelling about the character in this regard?
Halverson: Something that I talked with Mitch and Devon a little bit when we were shooting it — specifically about Devon’s character and my character of Beth, they really feel like two animals. That’s how I always thought about it. At first, I think we’re given to believe that Beth is maybe a rabbit and Devon’s character is the fox or wolf or something like that. I mean, he’s a real predator in the way he moves through the woods. You get a sense that he feels very comfortable there and he feels very on top of things. And she’s maybe a little more unsure.
But I think the further we get into this, the more we see that they are maybe evenly matched. For some of the scenes that Devon and I shot that are — without giving too much away — more close contact ones, I tried to think of it as two animals locked into each other. Two wolves or two foxes trying to circle each other or figure out the other one’s next move. So there’s definitely an element of that, and maybe it’s because we were shooting in the woods, but it was pretty easy to think of ourselves as wild animals in a lot of ways.
FW: The other side of Consumed is the monster movie element, which is rooted in mythology and folklore. How much did you know about this Wendigo story before reading the script, and did you do a lot of research into it?
Halverson: I knew some, but I did make a choice from the beginning not to do a ton of research into that. Beth really doesn’t know what she’s dealing with and really doesn’t know what she’s going to see for so long in the film. We’re seeing things through her eyes, and she’s only catching glimpses some of the time.
When we do finally see this creature, it is a shock for the audience, but then I wanted it to really feel like a shock to Beth. So, I didn’t want her to go into this with a guidebook of what she’s dealing with. It is quite literally the unknown. It’s the noise in the woods; it’s the bump in the night.
FW: What are the benefits and challenges of working on an independent production like Consumed as opposed to a studio-backed project like some of your TV work?
Halverson: I think something like this, probably because we shot this during COVID, so much of it did feel a bit like sleepaway camp. The woods help with that as well, but you’re in a very limited environment. You’re trying to keep it as safe as possible, knowing that you’re going to be in close contact with an intimate crew and cast.
I think what’s amazing about an independent film like this is there are so many ideas and things that come during filming. Particularly during the scenes with Devon and I, we were saying, “Well, what if we did this? What if we took it further?” And a lot of that is because he’s just such a brilliant actor. He’s really willing to take it beyond the page and see how much further we can push things.
And I think on a studio production, sometimes that’s hard to move the needle. But on an independent production, it’s a group of people sitting there being like, “We can make this decision right now to push this. Let’s go. Let’s just see.” There’s a lot more play to be had there. And, of course, done in a safe way with an amazing stunts team. But there wasn’t a lot that we were told we couldn’t do, which is amazing.
Consumed is now in theaters and on VOD.
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