Exclusive Interview: Alistair Petrie Talks The Cursed, Working with Sean Ellis, and Reinventing the Werewolf Legend

Alistair Petrie has starred in some of the industry’s most buzzed-about television shows and films. Notable credits include projects like The Night Manager, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Terror, and Sex Education. Currently, he can be seen opposite Boyd Holbrook in Sean Ellis’ horrifying new feature The Cursed.

Set in the late 1800s, The Cursed tells the story of a man who arrives in a remote country village to investigate an attack by a wild animal. However, he discovers a much deeper and more sinister force that has the manor and its townspeople in its grip.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Alistair about The Cursed, working with writer-director Sean Ellis, and how the film reinvents the werewolf legend.

PC: Tell us about The Cursed and your character in the film.
Alistair: The Cursed is set in the late-1800s in a remote village. I play a character named Seamus Laurents, a wealthy landowner. He and his wife, Isabelle, have two children, one of whom goes missing. There are strange things that happen, and a body is found. It’s not my character’s son, but a body is found.

The pathologist, played by Boyd Holbrook, comes in to assess how this young boy died. It’s potentially not of this world. We’re not quite sure what it is, but it’s pretty brutal. That’s the beginning of our story. There are rumors that start within the local village. Is it a curse? The story expands from there.

PC: You’ve done it all throughout your career. What was it about this particular character and script that attracted you to the project?
Alistair: First and foremost, it was the fact that Sean Ellis wrote and directed it. That was the first thing that tends to come across when you have an email sent to you: this is a project that’s being written and directed by Sean Ellis. I know Sean’s work, very, very well. By chance, I caught his film Metro Manila.

I had two hours to kill between appointments. I went to a cinema in London to watch this film called Metro Manila. I was completely blown away. What really confused me when I watched it was that it was a film set in the Philippines in the Filipino language directed by a Brit. [laughs] I thought at least I’d get the chance to ask him how on Earth that came about, but it was the fact that I adore the film. You always seek out filmmakers that you want to work with. When I saw Sean Ellis’ name, it was a pretty easy leap to jump into working with him—that coupled with Kelly [Reilly], Boyd, and the rest of the cast. It was a no-brainer, at least for me.

PC: You, Sean, and the cast do a beautiful job reinventing this werewolf legend. What was that collaboration and process like as you brought your own spin to this? How does The Cursed differentiate itself from other films in the genre?
Alistair: First off, Sean is an amazing collaborative filmmaker. As an actor, those are the people that you want to work with. In making films and television shows as well as being on the stage, it has to be collaborative. One of the things that we all need to do in life is listen more than we talk. That’s very much my process. I know that I’m not the smartest person in the room, so listening is always a good thing. I have my own ideas, but I’m also happy to have my ideas changed, altered, and discussed. Those are the best people to work with. I try to be that type of person.

Sean was keen to dive into the psychology of this genre. That was really, really key because psychology and horror go together so brilliantly. It’s never about what you see on screen; so much of it is about what you don’t see and what you don’t hear—it’s that silence and soundscape. He was really interested in the psychology of it. We’re making a character-led piece that doesn’t rely on the notion of the beast or the monster and what it looks like. We’d like to think we go a few layers beneath that whilst delivering a successful horror genre film. It also scared the living hell out of me. There’s no genre quite like this. This genre has the ability to tell a story that affects people’s emotions in such a distinct way.

PC: With this being such a unique take on the werewolf legend, is there a scene that you’re really excited for your fans and audiences to see?
Alistair: I would never presume to say that I have fans, but it’s funny that you say that. There’s a phenomenal sequence in a church, which someone compared to Game of Thrones. I must confess, I haven’t seen it, but I thought, “If there’s a parallel then that’s fun and exciting.” But there’s a sequence in the church which is extraordinary.

There is also a scene that I’ve always wanted to do. I’m in the study and it’s late. Everyone is asleep in the house—it’s basically deserted—and there’s a bump upstairs. I have to go upstairs, and it’s dark. Shooting a scene like that is always on your bucket list.

I think the sequence in the church towards the end of the movie is something that the film builds towards as they watch it. It’s pretty cool.

PC: The film is receiving such great reviews. What do you think is resonating most with audiences and what do you hope they take away after they see it?
Alistair: All films need to be about something. It’s not just about a werewolf movie. Sean has described it as a film inspired by addiction; that’s what it was for me. It emotionally resonated. It’s about grief. It’s about loss. It’s about revenge. A lot of the film touches all of us in many ways. I felt very moved by the relationship, the loss of love between myself and Kelly’s character.

On the surface, I would love ideally for people to be scared. We’ve all been scared the last two years, but I think in terms of movie land, it’d be good to be scared for other reasons. I think that’s a good emotion to feel in the safe environment of a movie theater. That’s what I hope people take away from it.

PC: Besides The Cursed, what’s next for you?
Alistair: Well, we’re not a million miles away from shooting Season 4 of Sex Education, which is an enormous privilege to be a part of, however long it may run. We’re building up towards shooting Season 4. It’s a show that I love doing. It addresses so many important, wonderful issues in a funny, warmhearted way that speaks to everyone. I’m very much looking forward to that.

To keep up with Alistair, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch The Cursed in theaters today.