Jessica Belkin (Pretty Little Liars) plays a small-town gal on the edge in Last Straw, filmmaker Alan Scott Neal’s edgy debut horror thriller. Expect plenty of blood and several jaw-dropping twists as Belkin’s desperate character, Nancy, hangs on for dear life after a group of masked assailants make a surprise visit while she’s working the night shift at a rural diner. But Belkin welcomes gritty film and TV roles in stories filled with jump scares and psychological pivots. In a recent MovieWeb interview, the actress shared her love of horror thrillers, noting:
“I was a blood-sucking vampire, Wren, on
American Horror Story: Hotel
. I always had a thing for horror growing up. I was the weird kid that would be like, ‘I love horror.’
It was a full-circle transition back into horror [with
Last Straw
]. I remember feeling like
this was my first step back into working in horror as an adult now.
“
Part of the appeal of horror to Belkin is being able to go beyond artifice and into visceral thrills and chills. “I would love to do like a Monster / Charlize Theron type of role,” saidBelkin. “It would be really challenging and super fun. Or, a Girl Interrupted / Angelina Jolie [role], something a bit more out there… gritty is what I’m going for.” She’s certainly got it with Last Straw.
Jessica Belkin Is Sick of the Typecast
In Last Straw, Belkin’s Nancy must be quick on her feet as she combats a sketchy group of troublemakers who possibly want to do more than just frighten the hell out of her. In a role that surely stretched her, Belkin also shared how several great actresses have informed her: “I’ve always been inspired by Natalie Portman. She’s one of my favorite actresses… and in horror, it’d be Drew Barrymore and Jamie Lee Curtis. The ‘screen queens’ of our industry.” She went on to say:
“
I think people take a look at me and can either typecast me as the mean girl or the influencer girl or whatever
. What I liked about
Last Straw
is how Nancy was a bit gritty, more real, and not just this pretty-girl facade.
There’s so much more that I can bring, and I just want to be able to display that
.”
Look for Last Straw in theaters Sep. 20 and on digital platforms like YouTube, Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango at Home, and on Prime Video through the link below. Watch the trailer below as well.
Watch Last Straw
