F Marry Kill(also stylized asF*** Marry Kill) blends horror, comedy, and romance to tell a tale about modern dating culture. When Eva Vaugh gets heavy into online dating only to find that one of her dates might be related to a a local murder, she and her friends must determine which are safe and which might lead to a deadly rendezvous. The movie’s cast includes Lucy Hale, Virginia Gardner, Brooke Nevin, and Bethany Brown.
The fun tone evident in thisF Marry Killclipis in large part due to the work of director Laura Murphy. Murphy is a veteran of comedy and horror alike, with past works includingCursed Friends, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens,andWho Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery.WithF Marry Kill,Murphy looks to have taken advantage of the range of her skillset in crafting a funny and scary story all at once.
ScreenRant’s Joe Deckelmeier spoke with Laura Murphy about her work directingF Marry Kill.Murphy discussed the elements of the script that drew her to making the film and whyfilm and TV star Lucy Halewas perfect for the main role. Plus, she reveals how Tinder helped her make the movie.
Laura Murphy On Blending Thrills & Laughs In F Marry Kill
While Reading The Script, Murphy Thought “This Is A Very Me Movie”
F Marry Killis a genre-bending take on modern dating–which is exactly why Laura Murphy wanted to direct it.“I think that was the part of the script that I got the most excited about,”the director said,“the idea that you could have this thriller, but also a comedy element … I think my life is a blend of consuming so much true crime and murder content while also consuming a ton of comedy. I was like, ‘This is a very me movie. It’s my dream to combine these.’”
Finding the correct balance between those elements was a top priority, said Murphy:“I wanted it to take itself seriously in the way it looked, cinematically. If the lighting, camera work, and color all took themselves seriously, you would never forget you were in a thriller, which would allow us to push the comedy further.”
That approach allowed the cast to let loose during filming.“We added some stuff, we improvised, and we pushed the comedy in the performance because I knew we had this nice, beautiful, solid visual base that would look like a thriller inspired by Hitchcock and David Fincher,”said Murphy. Later, the director refined the blend in the editing suite:“I was able to play around and figure out how to get that perfect balance where you don’t forget that there’s a mystery with a twist.”
Even the camerawork evoked classic thrillers. When asked if certain shots were designed to feel voyeuristic, the director said,“Thank you for noticing that. That was another very intentional way of maintaining a thriller. Even in comedic moments, you always feel a little like maybe there was somebody watching you.”
Lucy Hale’s Casting & Improv Skills Explained By Laura Murphy
“I Don’t Think I Even Realized How Incredibly Hilarious She Is”
RagdollandPretty Little Liarsstar Lucy Hale got to flex her improv muscles in a new way onF Marry Kill. “I knew from watching all of her work that she could do drama, and I knew she could do comedy … I knew she could handle the love storylines, but I don’t think I even realized how incredibly hilarious she is,”Murphy said, continuing,“She’s got improv skills.”
“There [are] so many,”Murphy said when asked if she had a favorite unscripted Lucy Hale moment. She added more:“I love when Eva and her sister are arguing and they start flipping each other’s hair. That was fully added. She also came up with Eva’s character having the ant farm. That was something she came up with before we started shooting, but then all the ants died, so we had to add this element of, ‘Oh, they’re dead, so she’s ordering new ones,’ which made her kind of quirky.”
Murphy relayed even more of what Hale brought to the film, saying,“That scene with her ex-boyfriend, who’s the cop, had a lot of added improv … and a lot of the scenes with Jedidiah Goodacre’s character, Kyle, had so much improv that we just didn’t have time to include.”
Laura Murphy Even Got On Tinder For F Marry Kill
People’s Real Dating Stories Were Used As Inspiration For The Movie
F Marry Killcomments on the confusing and often downright depressing world of online dating.“Everybody has dating red flag stories from their real lives,”Murphy said,“so we were able to pull a lot from that and then exaggerate a little. I think it’s such a relatable topic and every single person on the set, from cast to crew, had some personal experience with bad online dates or great online dates. Some people are married to their online date, so there’s a wealth of information about that.”
Murphy even got a taste of it all herself:“I was married when we were shooting it, but I did have my babysitter set up a local dating profile so I could interact with some people and get a real taste of what Tinder was really like. Shout out to my babysitter for doing that. She does get a special thanks at the end.”
