Exclusive Interview: Sadie Stanley Discusses Her New Film ‘At the Gates,’ Her Creative Process, the Urgency of This Timely Story, and More

Sadie Stanley is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and exciting young talents. Best known for her transformative performances in projects including Cruel Summer, Dead to Me, and The Goldbergs, Sadie has captivated audiences with her nuanced approach to her various characters and a maturity far beyond her years. Currently, she can be seen in Augustus Meleo Bernstein’s debut feature, At the Gates.

Ana (Vanessa Benavente), a housekeeper from El Salvador, brings her teenage son Nico (Ezekiel Pacheco) to help her clean an affluent family’s Los Angeles home. But after someone rings the front gate, her employers, Marianne (Miranda Otto) and Peter Barris (Noah Wyle), inform them that immigration officers are searching for them and convince the pair to hide in a basement closet, demanding they hand over their cell phones as a safety precaution. As days go by under the same roof, each family begins to question the other’s true intentions in this riveting and emotional thriller.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Sadie about At the Gates, her creative project, the gratitude she felt being a part of such a timely and urgent story, and more.

Please Note: At the Gates has been granted an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA. Without the labor of actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist.

PC: You brought so much nuance and depth to your character, Lauren, who has lived this sheltered life and now has to confront the realities that so many are facing outside of her own bubble. How did you create the space for yourself to tackle that emotional journey and the growth that Lauren undergoes?
Sadie: I think you said it perfectly. Lauren is very, very sheltered. She very much lives in her own little bubble of privilege. In some ways, I’m like that. I grew up in South Carolina. When you’re a kid, you think the whole world is your own little bubble. Then you come to L.A. and you start to meet people, and you expand your perception of the world. We see Lauren do that a lot in the film through her relationship with Nico and through the whole experience of having them hiding in her basement. It gives her a new perspective on the world. That was fun to play around with.

PC: Like you were saying, so much of that development comes from the budding relationship between Lauren and Nico. What was it like getting to collaborate with Zeke as you approached that dynamic? Did you share any words of wisdom with him as he made his feature film debut?
Sadie: I don’t know if I did, but it’s possible. Zeke is awesome. He tackled this with so much grace, nuance, and intention. I’m really, really proud of him. This is a great first feature for him. I see him doing so many great things after this, especially because this story feels so personal to him, not necessarily the suspense-thriller aspect, but this very, very important topic and this beautiful relationship between this mother and son who are undocumented immigrants from El Salvador. It was really fun to work with him. I feel like we hit it off right away, and we had great working chemistry. Nico and Lauren’s relationship is very cute and innocent. It was a lot of fun.

PC: It’s also really rare in the film industry that you have the opportunity to rehearse as a cast. How did that process allow you to build that familial bond with Noah and Miranda? What discoveries did you make during that process about your own character?
Sadie: It was nice to do that because you’re right, you don’t always get that opportunity. Sometimes you just jump onto the set. Our director Auggie had a very specific vision for everything, but he’s also a director who wants his actors to play. He wanted us to make the words our own and add in things that we wanted, so it felt like an organic slice of life and very conversational. You have to figure out your scene partners’ style of acting and get to know each other in that way. I’m very grateful we did that because I think it made all of our conversations feel very real and organic.

PC: Did you learn anything new about your own craft watching Noah and Miranda?
Sadie: Definitely. I always love working with actors who are older than me and more established. I always feel like I take something away. They were both really, really lovely to work with. I had a lot of great scenes with Miranda. She was so inspiring to watch in the way that she made the lines and the character her own. She really played around. Her and Auggie had a great relationship in that way. I took my cues from her little bits, and it gave me the freedom to make Lauren my own and add things in. She wasn’t afraid to improv in a scene, so that was really nice.

PC: Auggie wrote and directed this project. Is the filming experience different when the person who’s created these characters and this narrative is also at the helm directing?
Sadie: This is my second experience working with not only a first-time director but also a director who wrote the script himself. I love that process. It’s really fun because the director is just so passionate about the story, especially Auggie. He was very, very excited about telling the story. It makes the whole thing more special, especially on a small indie like this. Everybody on set is really, really happy to be there. They’re very passionate about the project. It feels like a group project. There’s something special about indies that I love so much.

PC: As you were saying earlier, it was really important to Auggie that the cast had the opportunity to improvise. Have you ever worked on a project that’s provided that much freedom? How did that further allow you to tap into Lauren? What new developments did you bring to her from that process?
Sadie: Yeah, I’ve had a couple of experiences like that, and it’s my favorite thing. I love when a director is like, “Try some things out.” I always want to respect the writing because you can find everything you need there, and it’s very important. I always do a couple of takes as it’s written, but it’s also really fun, especially if the director is also the writer because he’s coming up with ideas on the spot with you. You’re learning more about your character as you go on. Everyone is meshing well together. I love that process because it makes me a better actor too. Sometimes when I’m not able to do that, I feel a little bit cornered or stuck, but I have different techniques for that.

PC: You’re such a standout in this film. Is there a scene in particular that you’re excited for your fans to see?
Sadie: That’s a great question, and thank you. Honestly, I think the best parts of this film are the scenes between Nico and Ana (his mother). Ezekiel and Vanessa are truly the heart of the film. It’s such a beautiful story and a very important one. I’m excited for those. They’re so emotional. It’s a very effective, suspenseful thriller. It’s very fun and entertaining, but it’s also beautiful, emotional, and heart-wrenching. Those scenes are my favorite.

PC: This is such a timely and needed story that audiences have to go see. Is there an added sense of pressure or responsibility when you’re attaching yourself to a project that’s going to hit so close to home for so many?
Sadie: Absolutely. I empathize, of course, but there are so many experiences that I’ll never be able to truly understand. That’s what feels so great to me about getting to be a part of something like this and getting to tell this story. I’m very grateful to Auggie for including me. But there’s a lot of really difficult things happening in the world right now, and everybody’s feeling it. It’s very heavy and very difficult. If we can bring to light another issue and story that needs to be told and we need to get the word out for, I’m all for that.

PC: This film has made its way around the festival circuit and it’s been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences? What do you hope they take away?
Sadie: I’m very excited and grateful that it’s doing so well at these festivals. When you make a small indie like this, you never know if it’ll get the attention it deserves. I’m really excited. As far as what’s resonating, I think it could be a couple of things. I’m excited to ask my friends and family when they see it and learn what hits home for them. But I think this is a film that’s engaging. It’s very entertaining. It’s very suspenseful. There’s a mystery going on, and you have to make your own theories about what the truth is. But I think what people will mostly appreciate is the dynamic between Nico and their mom. They do such a good job, and it’s so emotional, intimate, and beautiful.

PC: You’re such a dynamic storyteller and you’ve done so much already in your career. What’s left on your bucket list?Sadie: What’s left on my bucket list? So many things. I still feel very green. I’ve been acting for a while now, but I feel like there are so many things that I need to check off my list. I haven’t done a horror movie. I haven’t been bloody and dirty yet. I think that’ll be awesome. I love coming-of-age films. I grew up with those. I want to try my hand at producing as well.

To keep up with Sadie, follow her on Instagram. At the Gates is in select theaters in Los Angeles on 11/3 and in New York on 11/10.

Photo Credit: David Muller