Female protagonists in movies are often portrayed as being able to perfectly balance a prosperous life as a loving mother and wife with their successful careers, and aren’t forced to contend with conflict until an external dispute arises in the plot. But first-time feature film writer-director-editor, Dean Kapsalis has flawlessly crafted a compelling and relatable heroine who’s grappling with the every day duties associated with her family and job in his new psychological thriller, ‘The Swerve.’ The drama’s main character of Holly, who’s played by Azura Skye in a critically acclaimed performance, is a stunning portrait of a struggling matriarch who’s living her personal and professional lives on the edge.
For her riveting portrayal of Holly, which offers a haunting, meaningful and important exploration into how mental illness can devastate the life of even the seemingly most successful woman, Skye won the Best Actress award at the 2019 Cinepocalypse Film Festival, where the drama had its world premiere. The performer was also honored with the Best Actress awards at the 2019 Panic Film Festival and the 2020 UK FrightFest. Following its successful run on the film festival circuit, ‘The Swerve’ was officially released earlier this fall on such VOD and Digital platforms as Comcast, Spectrum, Dish, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Xbox, YouTube, Amazon, Fandango Now, DirecTV, Playstation and Redbox TVOD, courtesy of Epic Pictures.
‘The Swerve’ is set in a distressing week in the life of Holly, who seems to have it all: two kids, a nice house, a good job as a teacher at her town’s high school and a husband who’s being considered for a big promotion in his managerial career at the local grocery store. But there are troubling signs that all is not right in her world.
Holly depends on medication to help combat her insomnia, which leaves her having troubling dreams. She must also contend with the recent return of her estranged sister, Claudia (Ashley Bell), who’s dealing with troubles of her own, and a mouse that’s invading her home. Holly also develops a dark new secret surrounding one of her students, which leads her already delicate balance to collapse, and sends her spiraling out of control.
Skye generously took the time recently to talk about starring in ‘The Swerve’ during an exclusive video interview over Zoom. Among other things, the actress discussed what elements of the character of Holly, as well as the overall script, that drew her to star in the thriller, and how she was able to relate to the protagonist. She also mentioned how the process of working with Kapsalis as a filmmaker helped her showcase how the social expectations that Holly has trouble dealing with in her every day life made her grow more resentful of her domestic responsibilities.
Watch our exclusive video interview with Skye above, and the official trailer for ‘The Swerve’ below.