Pop-Culturalist.com

Georgia Lock stars in writer-director Damian Hurley’s debut feature film, Strictly Confidential, an edge-of-your-seat thriller with a devilish twist that you won’t see coming.

On the anniversary of Rebecca’s (Lauren McQueen) death, Mia (Georgia Lock) returns to the Caribbean paradise where she and her best friend shared her final days. As Mia and sets out to unravel the mysterious events of her passing, old passions rise, new secrets are uncovered and Mia is pulled into a world of betrayal and murder. Georgia’s layered and nuanced performance breathes life into Mia’s quest for answers.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Georgia about Strictly Confidential, her collaboration with writer-director Damian Hurley, channeling her character, and more.

PC: There are so many twists and turns in Strictly Confidential, and it really keeps audiences guessing until the very end. What was your initial reaction when you read Damian Hurley’s script? What was it about this character and his writing that resonated with you?
Georgia: I do love a bit of mystery-thriller, it must be said. Those are the kinds of films that I enjoy watching. It is a film that keeps you guessing. When I was reading this script, it was a bit of me. I thought it was exciting, and I’d love to watch this. How amazing to be given the opportunity to work on it. It was as exciting to film as it was to read. I hope people love watching it too.

PC: It’s a fantastic film. Despite everyone believing the circumstances around Rebecca’s mysterious death, it’s Mia and that friendship that propels her to dig deeper. Who are the women in your own life who’ve shown up for you in a similar way that Mia does for Rebecca and vice versa? Did you channel them into that friendship?
Georgia: I feel like you always draw on things from your own life when you’re working on a script like this. I’m very, very blessed. I’ve got some wonderful friends, and they mean the world to me. When you’re thinking about your own life and you’re getting into that character, you imagine the situation you’d be in if that happened. It can be quite an emotional rollercoaster to get into that place. But I’ve been so blessed with some glorious friendships, so they’re definitely who you think of when you’re channeling that.

PC: Mia has such an incredible arc throughout the film that’s filled with so much vulnerability and strength. You brought so much nuance to that journey. As an actress, how did you create the space for yourself to tackle that?
Georgia: Thank you. We draw on our own experiences and things. Mia is going through a lot in this film. I’m no stranger to mental health struggles. I’ve been through some tough times with that. You pull on things. She feels really out of her depth and she doesn’t know what’s going on. I have felt that in my life.

PC: Damian also wrote and directed this project. How different is that filming experience when the person who’s created these characters and universe is also at the helm directing? What was that collaboration like?
Georgia: That’s a wonderful question. You can feel that, actually. He’s not only a dear friend of mine since working with him on this project, so this film is extra special for me for a lot of reasons now, but he’s also a brilliant writer and director.

I knew it at the time, but you can see it in the final product. He really thinks about every shot. It’s shot beautifully. The film looks beautiful. We were in a beautiful place, but you can see that he knows what he wants. I feel like you could pause this film anywhere and paint what’s on screen, and it would be beautiful. Every shot is glorious.

PC: You also got to work with the iconic Elizabeth Hurley. Did you learn anything working opposite her? What was it like getting to share the screen with her?
Georgia: What an absolute blessing. She’s a queen. She’s such a pro. How fantastic to be able to share the screen with her. She’s phenomenal. Not only that, but she’s a very lovely person. It was fantastic having her energy on set. She knows what she’s doing. It was fantastic to work with her.

PC: They both sang your well-deserved praise yesterday as well. You’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a creative and storyteller?
Georgia: In the same way that Damian wrote and directed this, you can feel that passion. It’s so lovely when people are telling stories that are really important to them. You can feel that there’s this real sense of camaraderie. It’s fantastic to be able to bring these films to life.

PC: As this film makes its worldwide release, is there a scene in particular that you’re excited for audiences to see?
Georgia: It’s hard to say without ruining something. But the whole film was such a joy to work on. There are some moments that are super special to me, but if I talk about them, I might put my foot in my mouth. So I’m not saying a thing. There are some real emotional bits in this film as well as the drama. It’s a real rollercoaster. I hope people enjoy it.

PC: Rollercoaster is the best way to describe it. The friendship between all the characters radiates on screen. How were you able to build that bond so quickly on an eighteen-day shoot?
Georgia: We were really lucky. Naturally, when you’re on sets, you’re in your own bubble, so those friendships form quickly. But we were so lucky with this cast. The people you work with in any profession can really affect how someone or something feels. But I’m really glad it came across that we gelled because we really did. We always tried to have dinner together in the evenings because we really did get on. I’m super grateful for the wonderful people that I got to work with on this.

To keep up with Georgia, follow her on Instagram. Strictly Confidential is in select theaters and wherever you stream movies.