Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Back Road’s Alex Pettyfer

Alex Pettyfer is doing triple duty on his latest project, Back Roads, stepping into the roles of actor, producer, and director. It was the talk of the Tribeca Film Festival, where it made its world premiere, and the buzz has only grown since. Out today, Back Roads tells the story of Harley, a young man who’s stuck in the backwoods of Pennsylvania, taking care of his three younger sisters after his mother (Juliette Lewis) is imprisoned for killing his abusive father. Harley puts his education on hold, working dead-end jobs to keep the lights on. Scarred by his past, Harley becomes infatuated with Callie Mercer (Jennifer Morrison), the older married woman who lives nearby. Things take a dangerous turn when they begin having an affair and shocking family secrets are revealed: one so devastating, it threatens to consume Harley.

Back Roads is a commanding directorial debut and also stars Nicola Peltz, Hala Finley, June Carryl, and Robert Patrick. Pop Culturalist spoke with Alex about the film, his experience as a first-time director, and his biggest takeaways.


PC: Tell us about Back Roads and your journey with the script.
Alex: I read the script around ten years ago, after Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal) and Tawni O’Dell wrote it. I was blown away by it as an actor. I was eighteen at the time and I would have done anything to be part of the film. Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, it didn’t get made. Ten years later, I had a bit of success with producing and went back to the original producer who was still attached to the project and said, “I would love to see this film get made!” From there, everything happened pretty organically and I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to direct it as well.


PC: Did your experience producing Godmother prepare you for Back Roads?
Alex: Similar to Back Roads, Godmother also happened organically. I auctioned the book and then two days later, I happened to be sitting opposite Jennifer [Lopez] and we got to chatting about it. It all started from that conversation.


That experience gave me a confidence boost. Creative producing is about coming together with the right people who share the same vision and finding material that you want to collaborate on.

PC: We imagine when you first read the script, you saw the story unfold from your character’s eyes, but now being in the roles of producer and director, does that change any of your initial perceptions?
Alex: Stepping into the role of director has changed my life. As humans, there are times when we don’t always understand where people are coming from; we have a single narrative perspective on the world. Directing in its purest form is creative collaboration. You can’t have any ego.


When you walk into a job as an actor, you’re single-minded. As a director, you’re thinking of a multitude of different perspectives and the narratives that run throughout. The biggest life lesson from this project is that Rome wasn’t built in a day by one. It’s a collective experience and it’s a more enjoyable one, as well.

PC: What would you say is the most surprising aspect about this experience?
Alex: This amazing female cast was incredible and having their support was fantastic. I was actually blown away when Juliette Lewis asked me to come to her trailer. She had been touring her music for a long time and told me she was nervous [stepping back into acting]. I’m looking at her, this 27-year-old, and thinking to myself, “You’re an Oscar-nominated actor. You’re one of my idols. I’m in awe of you.” She asked if there was anything she needed to know and I told her, “Juliette, however nervous you are, times that by ten. That’s how I feel!” I also told her, “I think we’re going to have an amazing experience collaborating together and let’s go out and do it! Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s about getting whatever you need out of it.” That’s exactly what we did.

PC: You starred, produced, and directed the film. Having done all three, is there one you naturally gravitate towards?
Alex: I enjoy acting more now because I have directed. I don’t think there’s one that I naturally gravitate towards. Acting, at times, can be repetitive, but directing has given me a greater appreciation for it. I definitely would love to carry on directing. I really enjoyed it.

PC: How did your interpretation differ from Adrian’s [who was initially supposed to direct]?
Alex: Adrian’s movies are incredible. I think they are more sexual in the way that they’re depicted. Mine is more about the family drama and the interaction between the characters. I wanted to tell a story about these characters and less about the scenario.

PC: You’ve done blockbusters and indie films. Besides the budget, what are some of the major differences?
Alex: I’m going to give you a convoluted answer, but there’s so much more freedom in restriction and so much restriction in freedom. When you’re in a big budget movie, you have the time and money to do many shots and at scale. Things are more planned, but you’re sometimes restricted creatively. On a smaller film, you find yourself collaborating more. There’s a creative freedom in that financial restriction.


PC: Back Roads is out today! What do you hope audiences take away?
Alex: I hope they have an experience; that’s what cinema is. It’s that experience of walking away and feeling a certain way. If I achieve that in the slightest, I’ll be very happy.

Back Roads hits theaters today.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.