Exclusive Interview: Kristina Denton on Creative Partnership and the Making of ‘Hollywood Grit’

Kristina Denton has never shied away from telling stories that live in the gray areas—where heart, grit, and human complexity collide. Teaming up with creative partner Ryan Curtis, Kristina co-wrote the crime thriller Hollywood Grit, a neon-soaked journey through the darker corners of Los Angeles that follows a detective battling mobsters, starlets, and his own demons after his daughter vanishes from a Hollywood jazz club.

Beyond the big screen, Kristina is also stepping into a new chapter as a first-time author with her upcoming memoir, You Don’t Know Dick, set for release in 2026. Blending raw honesty with humor, the book chronicles her time working at a men’s erectile dysfunction clinic and the unexpected ways that experience reshaped her understanding of grief, identity, and modern masculinity. With Hollywood Grit marking a major milestone in her filmmaking journey and her memoir on the horizon, Denton continues to prove she’s a storyteller unafraid to explore life’s messiest—and most meaningful—truths.

PC: Hollywood Grit has such an interesting origin story—you had the budget, locations, and cast in place before the script was written. How did those elements shape the story you and Ryan Curtis ultimately decided to tell?
Kristina: It felt like reverse-engineering a dream. We had an incredible opportunity with a strong budget, access to stunning locations, and a killer cast already lined up. Instead of being boxed in by those factors, the process became creatively liberating. It forced us to ask what kind of story naturally lived inside this world. Rather than forcing a concept, we let the assets speak. We leaned into what we had access to—rugged landscapes, gritty textures, and a lead like Max Martini with undeniable gravitas. From there, we built a story that felt grounded, urgent, and cinematic. There’s something thrilling about creating within real-world constraints. It made the writing process feel like a puzzle we were solving in real time, and I truly love that kind of creative challenge.

PC: You’ve said in previous interviews that Ryan Curtis is a strong visual storyteller, while your background in acting makes dialogue come very naturally to you. What made this creative partnership so special, and how were you able to push each other creatively?
Kristina: We really challenged each other in the best way. Ryan brings a sharp, kinetic energy to scenes. He’s thinking in shots, tension, and timing, while I’m focused on subtext, emotional arcs, and how a single line can reveal a character’s truth. Our skill sets are wildly different but deeply complementary. I would push for moments of quiet intimacy, and he would push back to make sure we didn’t lose sight of the overall momentum. That back-and-forth pushed us into a shared rhythm, where every beat had to work both emotionally and visually. We’ve done so many projects together that even under tight deadlines—like on this film—we find our groove quickly. It felt like creative ping-pong, and that friction gave the script its edge.

PC: Your upcoming memoir, You Don’t Know Dick, comes out in 2026, and you’ve described it as the most challenging project of your career. What made it such a difficult process, and how did writing a memoir differ from crafting a screenplay like Hollywood Grit?
Kristina: With a screenplay, you get to hide behind characters. With a memoir, there is nowhere to hide. Every word is mine—my voice, my grief, my humor, my trauma, my healing. That level of vulnerability can be terrifying. I had to go to emotional places I wasn’t sure I was ready for and face my messiest parts. You can’t write a book about your own life without demanding radical honesty from yourself, even if it makes you look foolish. I owed it to anyone who finds my story to be as authentic as possible.

In contrast, Hollywood Grit was a team sport. I was building a world with other creatives and putting our shared vision on screen. The memoir was just me, alone at my keyboard, wiping away tears and bleeding onto the page.

PC: This is the first film you’ve written to receive a theatrical release. What has it been like seeing what you put on the page come to life with a live audience?
Kristina: It’s electric and deeply surreal. Sitting in a theater and hearing an audience react to something you dreamed up in your bathrobe is unlike anything else. There’s a kind of alchemy that happens when strangers laugh, gasp, or lean in at the exact moments you hoped they would. It makes the entire journey of late-night rewrites and big risks feel worth it. It reminded me why we do this. Storytelling is connection, and film is a communal heartbeat we all share for ninety minutes.

PC: This is a story that will resonate with so many audiences, told through the lens of an action thriller. Why did that genre feel like the right vessel for telling this story?
Kristina: This film has heart, trauma, resilience, and questions about justice, but we wanted to deliver all of that through a lens that felt exciting and accessible. The stakes are emotional, but they’re also physical. People are fighting for something—both literally and metaphorically. The action thriller genre gave us permission to explore moral complexity and blow up a few things along the way. That balance of grit and heart was exactly what this story needed.

PC: Outside of Hollywood Grit, what’s next for you? How has this story influenced the kinds of stories you want to tell moving forward?
Kristina: Hollywood Grit taught me that when I share something personal, it stops being just mine and becomes something others can see themselves in. That opened a new layer of storytelling for me and ultimately led to my memoir. Moving forward, I’m focused on telling raw, honest stories across every format—stories that entertain but also make people feel seen. The book was just the beginning. It’s already evolving into several other projects I’m very excited about, though I can’t mention them just yet. Stay tuned.

To keep up Kristina, follow her on Instagram. Hollywood Grit is available wherever you stream movies.

Photo Credit: Ben Cope // Hair: Markima // Makeup: Hanako // Stylist: Venk Modur