Run Sweetheart Run Director on Making a Thriller Relatable to Women

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‘Run Sweetheart Run’ Director Shana Feste on Creating a Horror Thriller Relatable to Women

By Perri Nemiroff

Published Feb 11, 2020

Stars Pilou Asbæk and Ella Balinska also talk about the importance of their character names.

We’ve already shared our interviews with the teams behind The Night House, Relic, Amulet and His House, but the Sundance 2020 trend of thoughtfully crafted horror movies that tackle real-world challenging topics continues with Shana Feste’s latest, Run Sweetheart Run. The movie stars Charlie’s Angels’ Ella Balinska as Shari, a single mother who’s encouraged to get back into the dating game. She’s set up on a blind date with Ethan (Pilou Asbæk), a successful, charming guy who seems to have it all - that is until their date ends with Shari running for her life from his home.

This is a difficult one to discuss without stepping too far into spoiler territory so I’ll wrap up the synopsis right that and assure you that this Sundance 2020 conversation with Feste, Balinska and Asbæk is completely spoiler free. The trio swung by the Collider Studio at the Kia Supper Suite to talk about how Feste’s own dating experience inspired the story, the meaning and value of the character names, the physical and emotional challenges Balinska faced while tackling this role, and so much more. You can catch the full conversation in the video player at the top of this article!

Finally, I’d like to give special thanks to our Collider Studio Presenting Partner, the Kia Telluride SUV, the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. Additional thanks to support sponsors Glenfiddich Scotch, Peroni Beer, Marbl Toronto, mou footwear, ic! berlin sunglasses and clothing lines, Laundry by Sheli Segal and Orginal Penguin.

Pilou Asbæk, Ella Balinska, Shana Feste:

00:30 - What is Run Sweetheart Run about?
00:53 - Feste on what inspired this deeply personal movie.
01:30 - Asbæk and Balinska on blind dates gone wrong.
03:34 - Asbæk on playing villains; who he thinks is the scariest of the bunch.
04:45 - Did Asbæk and Feste talk much about Ethan’s past?
05:37 - Balinska on playing such a physically and emotionally demanding part.
07:40 - Feste talks about naming her characters.
10:05 - Feste discusses how gender plays a big role in the movie.
11:32 - Feste on crafting a very important shot in the film - the shot of the door.

run-sweetheart-run-image — Image via Sundance