Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with American Refugee’s Jessi Case

Jessi Case is one of the breakout stars of 2021. The gifted young actress is turning heads with her transformative performance in Blumhouse’s American Refugee.

The must-see psychological thriller follows a family who seeks shelter in a neighbor’s bunker after the American economy collapses and the nation is put under martial law. They quickly realize that the danger inside is potentially greater than what lies outside.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Jessi about the role and her preparation.

PC: Tell us about American Refugee, your character, and what attracted you to this project.
Jessi: What attracted me most to this project is that it’s definitely an eerie thriller—and not for the sake of getting a reaction. It has a lot of deeper themes that I really love. My character goes through quite a transformation in the story. Everyone that’s attached to this project is great. I’m really excited to be a part of it.

PC: This is a very different role from what fans have seen you do in the past. Did that change your preparation?
Jessi: Yes, it definitely did. Honestly, I really love when you get to transform for a character (for instance, putting on a wig and a pregnant belly). That puts you in a whole new mindset. You feel like you are the character. I’m used to playing the girl next door or an angsty teen. This is the first role that I feel like I’ve really gotten to sink my teeth into. I put a lot of preparation into this role and was able to make a lot of choices that made sense for this character. It’s a really interesting one. I had fun.

PC: One of the major relationships in Amber’s life is with Helen. We see how that dynamic changes over the course of the film. How did you and Erika [Alexander] prepare to tackle that journey?
Jessi: We ran a lot of lines together. We talked about our characters all the time. It was really great to have such a collaborative director as well. Ali [LeRoi] was really great. He wanted to see how we felt and where we were emotionally. A big part of that was because we were shooting a lot of this out of sequence. We had to figure out what the dynamics were in each moment because there were times where we were shooting the last scenes of the movie on the first day. But luckily in my case, my first day was shooting with Erika in a scene set at the pharmacy at the start of the film. It was a great place for us to find our footing together. It gave us the opportunity to talk about our characters and where they were going to go.

PC: This is your first major venture into the horror genre. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway?
Jessi: Honestly, I thought I’d be more scared on set. I thought that I’d be really freaked out by everything going on. Luckily, there was nothing paranormal. The paranormal and clowns are the freakiest things to me. What I love about this story is that it feels close to home. It feels eerily similar to everything that we’ve gone through in 2020. There are a lot of takeaways that resonate. It was exciting to do something that felt real but also freaky. Life can be freaky sometimes.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, your character undergoes this massive transformation throughout the film. Is there a particular scene that you’re really excited for your fans to see?
Jessi: I’m really excited. Erika and I have a really great scene together. It’s a “woman power” moment. There’s a connection that people aren’t sure will happen. There’s a lot of push and pull between the dynamics of the families. There are really great moments of connection as well throughout the show that I’m really excited for everyone to watch.

PC: Speaking of those dynamics, which of those relationships was your favorite to explore in the film and why?
Jessi: I’m pregnant in the movie. I’ve never been pregnant in a project before. I’ve also never had a child. Exploring that was really awesome. I watched a lot of movies like Juno in preparation for this. I wanted to explore that mother-child bond. That’s a really great one that I got to explore.

Then the relationship with Winter (Sam Trammell’s character) is very interesting. Exploring that was very exciting. But all the characters are so precisely drawn. All of the bonds were really clear and set in stone. All of the relationships were exciting to explore.

PC: We’re seeing another golden age for the horror genre to tell really cool stories, and American Refugee is the latest addition to that movement. Did that bring any pressure to this project?
Jessi: I was so into the actual making of it that I didn’t wonder about what happens after. I was very into my character and into talking to everybody on set. I felt like we were all very present. We filmed this during the pandemic, which was a freaky thing in itself. But I think that helped ground us as well. We were making a movie about the world ending while it felt like the world was ending. But I definitely agree, we’re seeing a new golden age of horror. I’m excited to be a part of that.

PC: You were talking about the themes earlier in this interview. There are so many relevant ones that unfold throughout the story. Was there one in particular that hit home for you?
Jessi: I really liked how both families come from completely different backgrounds and social classes. We see them clash. If you’re living in a small space with anyone, there are going to be clashes, even if you have the same beliefs. The theme regarding social classes hit me. I was raised by a single mom. We grew up with less money than my friends’ families. Seeing those themes represented in this film was really cool. I think that will stick out to a lot of people.

PC: With the film out now, what do you hope audiences take away after they see it?
Jessi: The movie does a really great job of showing that you can have bonds with people that you don’t agree with. You can still learn from one another. It’s a great piece that shows that you can be friends with anyone, no matter how much you disagree with them. I don’t know if that’s what the movie was going for, but when I watched it, I was like, “Wow, it’s crazy how these people are so different, and yet somehow it worked.” That’s something that I took away from it. You can make it through anything. You really can. If you have a good support system and a good head on your shoulders. There will always be ups and downs.

PC: Besides this film, what’s next for you?
Jessi: I just wrapped up filming a movie in Georgia called On a Wing and a Prayer. That’s an MGM picture directed by Sean McNamara and starring Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham, Jesse Metcalfe, and a lot of really great people. I’m very excited for that one. That’ll be out in August 2022.

To keep up with Jessi, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch American Refugee on EPIX today.

Photo Credit: Ben Cope