Perpetually reliving the same moments can be a mindf*ck — just ask Billie. The protagonist of Hulu’s latest genre-bending horror thriller, Jagged Mind, goes through the mental wringer no thanks to an enigmatic new girlfriend. Here’s a brief synopsis per Hulu:
“When Billie starts dating a mysterious new girlfriend, she suffers blackouts and strange visions that feel like she’s living the same moments of her life over and over.”
The film stars Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Billie and Shannon Woodward as Alex, Billie’s aforementioned girlfriend. The supporting cast includes Rosaline Elbay as Christine, Shein Mompremier as Rose and Jimmy Jean-Louis as Papa Juste. Kelley Kali directs from Allyson Morgan’s script.
Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Kelley about directing Jagged Mind and weaving different genre elements into her direction. Be wary of mild spoilers.
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This interview is edited for length and clarity.
Melody McCune: Kelley, I first want to say I loved Jagged Mind. It’s such a mind-bending, genre-bending thrill ride. What drew you to this project?
Kelley Kali: I had a film called I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking) that won at South by Southwest. That got the attention of 20th Digital, and they brought me in to pitch for what was once called First Dates. The one thing I love that Allyson did was that it’s an LGBTQ+ film, but it wasn’t a coming-out story. It didn’t have all this trauma the characters were dealing with. It dropped right in with two women trying to have a date, just trying to find love. I liked that Allyson did that. It was highly visual, and it being genre, I knew I would have room to play.
Many of the films I’ve done before were grounded in reality, so I couldn’t push color that much or do too many strange camera tricks. The thing about genre is you can do whatever you want as long as it makes sense to the storyline. I was excited to play with color, to play with the camera moves and to work with the actor who was being looped. It had so much potential. But to tell you the truth, Melody, I didn’t think I would get the job.
MM: Really?
KK: The original script took place in New York. It took place in Manhattan and read as two white women at first. So, I was thinking, “Oh, [the] Manhattan art [world], it’s going to be what we’ve seen before — white art.” Then, I said, “I think the lead should be African-American or Afro-Caribbean to create an interracial couple.” I come from an interracial couple. I remember walking around [with my parents], and no one would be aggressive toward us, but we did get those looks like, “Oh, they’re together. Okay.” It adds social tension. I didn’t know the short [film] had an interracial couple.
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I didn’t want to watch the short because I didn’t want it to influence how I saw the feature. Allyson and I were already on the same page from the jump when I found that out. I told the execs when I was pitching, “Look, I don’t think this should be in New York.” I was like, “There’s magic in this. We should put it in a place where people believe in magic and make it feel like maybe this could happen.”
I initially said New Orleans. They loved it. I got the job. Then, for logistical reasons, they were bringing up Miami. And I said, “Okay. Well, if we shoot in Miami, then we need to shoot in Little Haiti.” Haiti had a huge influence on the culture of New Orleans. So, still similar in a way. Two, there is a strong belief in magic. But I said, “We need to be very careful about how we depict the voodoo. If we’re going to do that, it can’t be bad. We can’t continue to perpetuate it as a negative thing because it’s a religion.” It’s someone’s religion to be respected.
So, I was like, “We’re going to have to add another character,” which ended up being Jimmy Jean-Louis’ character. Then, we changed Rose’s character to Haitian. The voodoo that we have in there is warning our protagonist. It’s doing good.
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MM: That definitely comes across, too.
KK: Good. That was very important to us. The stone is whatever the stone is, but our characters are trying to help and do good. We got to put in some Haitian Creole, which was very important to me. We didn’t subtitle it as a little wink to the Haitian community getting to hear their language onscreen. You still understand the scene. My executives were great to be willing to go there because that’s not how the script started. I appreciate them.
MM: Jagged Mind breaks a lot of genre conventions. There are the time loops, which are sci-fi, and then you have magic, which is a little fantasy-esque. Then, you have the psychological thriller aspect. What was it like navigating those elements as a director?
KK: The best way I navigated it was through camera movement and my choice of shots. I was trying to ground the magic as much as possible, so it didn’t seem like it couldn’t happen. Even with our VFX, I didn’t want it too extravagant. I wanted it to feel like the stone itself was alive and breathing. I think those three genres you mentioned naturally can blend. It wasn’t that hard. But what they did do was give me room to play. It’s funny; people were like, “What inspired you?” Everyone wants me to say Rosemary’s Baby, but I’m like, “No, actually, Ratatouille.”
MM: That’s so cool.
KK: It was what inspired me for a lot of the shots. I saw a shot in Ratatouille where they were pulling out from the chef to the critic, and it was two different locations. The way they jumped, I said, “Yo, that would be so cool to try in live-action.” It became the Ratatouille shot. We all called it “The Ratatouille.” You see her (Billie) jumping. I got to play a lot with the camera to make things feel magical and grounded — to build suspense in the thrill. Of course, we also incorporated some horrific moments.
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I think they all blended easily. I didn’t have much trouble trying to make those genres fit. They just did. Well, also, kudos to Allyson for writing something that worked.
MM: Thank you so much for chatting with me, Kelley!
KK: I appreciate you taking the time to watch the film. That means a lot. And thank you so much for talking about it as well!
You can follow Kelley on Instagram (@iamkelleykali) and stream Jagged Mind on Hulu.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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