Pop-Culturalist.com

Damian Hurley has emerged as one of the most compelling voices of his generation. As a first-time filmmaker, he unveils his creative brilliance in the heart-pounding thriller, Strictly Confidential, a film that not only showcases his directorial talent but also stars his mother, the iconic Elizabeth Hurley.

On the anniversary of Rebecca’s (Lauren McQueen) tragic passing, Mia (Georgia Lock) finds herself drawn back to the serene Caribbean haven where she and her closest friend once forged unforgettable memories. As Mia embarks on a quest to untangle the enigmatic circumstances surrounding Rebecca’s demise, the veil over hidden truths lifts, stirring old passions and unearthing fresh secrets, ultimately plunging Mia into a labyrinth of betrayal and murder. Elizabeth delivers a captivating performance as Lily, Rebecca’s grieving mother, driven by a desire to honor her daughter’s memory. Yet, beneath the surface of her grief lies a trove of secrets.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of engaging in a conversation with Damian and Elizabeth Hurley about their collaboration on Strictly Confidential and delving deeper into their creative process.

PC: Damian, there are so many wild twists and turns in this film, and these characters are so rich and live in these morally gray areas. What initially inspired this screenplay? Besides your mother, did you write with these particular actors in mind?
Damian: I didn’t. I wrote this initial idea for this film when I was seventeen. Then I made a short film coming out of lockdown which one of the executives of Lionsgate saw. I got a call out of the blue saying, “We’ve seen your short film. We love it. We’d love for you to write and direct a feature for us. What do you think?” I was like, “That’s insane.”

I went back, and I found this old idea that I had written when I was seventeen. At the time, half of my friends at school were the inspiration for the characters. I had been through quite a lot of loss and grief since the time that I had initially written the film. So I updated it to be a little more grown-up, a little more experienced, and Strictly Confidential was born.

PC: Elizabeth, you made good on a promise that you made to Damian when he was eight years old about starring in his first feature. What was your initial reaction when he presented this script to you? How proud are you of him for penning something so unique that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats?
Elizabeth: I love the fact that I’ve seen him weave into this film all the subject matter that he’s always been interested in like loyalty, betrayal, loss, deceit, and then set it in this glamorous setting where everybody looks so fabulous. But underneath the surface, it’s really dark. That’s something that I’ve seen him always be attracted to. So he told me the treatment, and I said, “Go away and write it. I’m not going to get involved in your first draft. You should do that.”

Then we started to discuss some edits to see what could work. It was just watching this journey that he was on. I think he’s done an amazing job. He shot a beautiful film, but then when he put it together in the editing suite, he made a very different film. He really brought so much more into his edit than anybody ever thought he could have done. That was really interesting to me to watch that process. I have full confidence in him in that aspect.

PC: Damian, given everything that’s happened when the story opens up, there’s such a vulnerable state in which these characters are as they deal with their grief and find a new sense of normal, particularly Mia, who begins to unravel when she suspects things aren’t as they seem. As the writer-director, how did you foster that environment on set to elicit those emotional performances that we see on screen, particularly with Georgia [Lock] who plays Mia?
Damian: I have to say that Georgia Lock is possibly one of the most phenomenal actors that I’ve ever met in my life. She’s sensational in this film. She became one of my best friends. I couldn’t love her more. I’m so totally in awe of her and her dedication to her craft. She’s one of the few people in the world who are as obsessed with being a perfectionist as I am. We worked together so hard on this film. We only had eighteen shooting days, so it was a really intense shoot. I’m in total awe of her. She was phenomenal throughout. She brought a dimension that I could never have even dreamed of having with Mia.

PC: The performances on screen are incredible. Elizabeth, there’s such innate trust between the two of you. How did that guide you throughout this experience, particularly as you explored this character who has a lot of skeletons in her closet? How did that trust allow you to take risks in the creative decisions you made?
Elizabeth: I found it very liberating having someone that I trusted behind the camera, someone who I could trust on set, someone who I could trust in the edit, and someone who I could trust in post-production. It’s not always like that. For me, it was a really lovely thing, so much so that I’d like him to direct me again. I trust Damian.

PC: You two need to team up again. Damian, this is your full-length directorial debut. What was the most surprising part about this experience for you? What did you learn about your own craft?
Damian: I always knew that I was fine with everything that my job on paper entailed: directing, writing, and producing. I was a little surprised by the extent of the logistical hell. I grew up on sets. I know the trucks don’t always show up, and it might start pouring rain when you’re meant to be shooting on the beach. All of the above. But I didn’t know quite how deep that goes and the terrifying repercussions that you’re hit with every second of every day during a shoot, especially a shoot this intense. It took me by surprise. But thank God I had E. Hurley to guide me through.

Elizabeth: I really felt that one of my chief jobs, apart from acting, was to ensure that he could stay focused on what he had to do and that he’d be able to tune out the noise of any production hell. We all know they’re hell. So that when he was on set, he could work with the actors, which he did beautifully, and just concentrate on his shots, the storytelling, the characters, and not worry that there’s a tornado coming.

I didn’t want him to be distracted by that. He had to be involved, but I wanted to take the brunt of that, which I think we managed quite well, so that he was involved in the problems but not to the extent that it could distract him. That was important to me.

PC: Elizabeth, you’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a storyteller and a creative?
Elizabeth: There are pros and cons, of course. The good things about working on smaller independent projects, and I mean this in the best possible way, is that there’s less interference from above. You know your budget. If they trust you, you go and spend it. You put the best film in that you can, and there are fewer cooks in the kitchen. That works really well. But it is tough not having more money and not having bigger crews and time.

Damian: Time is the biggest thing for me.

Elizabeth: You’re juggling everything with each other. It felt very important to me that Damian started with a small, independent film and did the best job that he possibly could. I don’t think it would be particularly helpful for him in his career as a filmmaker to step onto a set with a massive crew and equipment and feel like a cog. I wanted him to feel like the engine. He was the engine of this. That was very important. His next movie, maybe we’ll raise a bit more money and have a bigger budget, but he knows what it’s like to do it grassroots. That’s important.

Make sure to follow Damian (Instagram) and Elizabeth (Instagram). Strictly Confidential is in theaters and wherever you stream movies.