Exclusive Interview: Filmmaker Justin Harding and Star Peyton Elizabeth Lee Talk ‘Carved,’ Their Love for Horror, and More

As the spooky season creeps in, there’s no better way to get into the Halloween spirit than with a new horror-comedy destined to carve out a place among the genre’s best. Filmmaker Justin Harding and star Peyton Elizabeth Lee bring us Carved, a fright-filled blend of scares and laughs that’s sure to become a cult classic.

The film follows a heartbroken teenage playwright, her younger brother, and a disparate group of survivors who find themselves trapped in a historical reenactment village on Halloween night. Together, they must band to fend off a relentless assault from a sentient, vengeful pumpkin determined to make this their last night.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Justin and Peyton about Carved, grounding this horror-comedy in truth and reality, the fun kills featured in the project, and more!

PC: Justin, I wanted to start with you. One of the things I admire about filmmakers who grew up on horror and have such a strong affinity for the genre is how their passion bleeds into their work. As an audience member, you can immediately feel that. With Carved, you’ve done a brilliant job of bringing that sense of nostalgia—it feels like a love letter to the genre—while also being fresh and innovative. How did you approach introducing new elements that not only kept it exciting but also paid homage to the classics while putting your own stamp on it?
Justin: Thanks for recognizing that because the whole concept of this movie was to create a handmade horror film that felt like an instant classic. That was our intention from the start. The best way to achieve that was to lean into practical effects to give it a timeless feel, and we really emphasized that. We also wanted to create a sequence of fun kills. Some of these kills pay homage to classic films, and some are completely original, things we’ve never seen before, so horror fans can appreciate both the inspiration behind the film and the new twists.

PC: It’s such a fun watch from start to finish. Peyton, you’re absolutely incredible in everything you do, including Carved. With this project, you get to play to all your strengths, balancing the comedic and dramatic beats, and you explore a wide range of emotions so effortlessly. You do such a fantastic job grounding a character caught in these crazy circumstances. As an actress, how did you find your way into this character and where does she sit within you?
Peyton: Thank you so much. Finding the reality in those moments was the heart of this whole project. How do you make a killer pumpkin not feel completely ridiculous? It was about digging into who she is as a girl growing up—her first love, her little brother—and finding pieces of her life that felt relatable to me in my own life. I allowed those feelings to permeate everything she does, experiences, and how she navigates these difficult situations, to hopefully bring some groundedness to a very silly, fun, crazy premise.

PC: You brought so much strength and vulnerability to this character. Justin, in films with a young ensemble, there’s often a tendency for the dialogue to feel outdated. But with Carved, it feels so authentic and true to that age demographic. How much did you lean on your cast to ensure the dialogue stayed genuine and resonated with modern audiences? And what freedom does a streamer like Hulu provide in pushing those boundaries?
Justin: I’ll start with the second part of that question. Hulu has been amazing throughout the whole process—it’s been incredible. It’s a filmmaker’s dream to work with a studio that pushes ideas and lets you take the story in whatever direction makes sense for the genre without watering it down. This film goes for some extreme kills while balancing comedy and character development, and there was never any creative conflict. It was fantastic. As for the cast, casting is 90% of a director’s job. You’re trying to bring these characters to life, and it’s about finding the right approach.

With Peyton’s character, Kira, we needed someone we could believe as a director/writer—someone with leadership qualities and intelligence.

Peyton: And you failed. [laughs]

Justin: We nailed it with you. It was about allowing the actors to bring something to the character that surprises you. It’s one thing on the page, but many of these characters actually changed in my mind as we saw them come to life through these amazing performances. My goal was just to not get in their way, honestly.

PC: Peyton, I feel like you’re this generation’s scream queen. This is your first venture into horror. Did anything surprise you about the overall experience? Can you talk a bit about working with Justin, who co-wrote and directed this, and has such a love and affinity for the genre? How did you find those moments where you could take more risks with your performance, given that there aren’t a lot of constraints when you’re playing in both horror and comedy?
Peyton: Absolutely. When I first read the script, I was excited about it, but also like, what is this? [laughs] It really came down to that first conversation with Justin and hearing his passion, his knowledge of the genre, and his overall excitement and love for it. That’s what made me want to do this because nothing excites me more than people who love what they’re making and will do whatever it takes to bring it to life. I really felt that from Justin, and that energy permeated the entire filming experience. Our mentality was, “We’re going to make this happen, and we’re going to make it as good, fun, scary, and exciting as we possibly can.” That go-go-go passion and mentality is something I’ve experienced in doses before, but this genre—like you said, with its crazy lines, action sequences, and kills—really allows that freedom. You get to nurture that creative spirit, and that contributes so much to the film.

Make sure to follow Justin (X/Instagram) and Peyton (Instagram). Stream Carved today on Hulu or Disney+.