Yes, there’s a new country music horror film. Here’s how this rhinestone ripper came to life

A state tunes … horror movie? Yes, it is really a issue.

“Torn Hearts” — a 97-moment bloody suspense flick from Epix and A-listing Hollywood scare factory Blumhouse — will take viewers to a fictional Nashville, wherever a duo of shiny-eyed women of all ages hoping to make a splash on New music Row need a leg up in an market dominated by adult men slinging tales about back again roadways and beer ingesting (sounds common, eh?).

The group — named Torn Hearts — features Jordan, a curly-haired songwriting who places artwork previously mentioned fame (she would totally be from East Nashville) and Leigh, the frontwoman with a piercing smile and superstardom ambitions (Midtown all the way for her, correct?).

Searching to improve the band out of midsize area golf equipment, they acquire a shot in the darkish on enlisting assistance from Harper Dutch, a star-turned-recluse who when ruled the charts (and ’90s region hairdos) as just one-fifty percent of loved ones duo The Dutchess Sisters. The duo acquire a excursion down Tennessee backroads to surprise Dutch at her crumbling estate.

Spoiler warn: Suspense unfolds.

“Torn Hearts” hit streaming providers last month to typically good critiques in horror circles, scoring an 89% “certified clean” rating on critic aggregator and cinema tastemaker Rotten Tomatoes.

In a Tennessean job interview, “Torn Hearts” screenwriter Rachel Koller Croft discusses setting the film in Nashville, composing complicated gals in horror and reducing initial songs for the movie.

Hold out, why Nashville?

Croft grew up on region music with a self-described appreciation that runs from Dolly Parton to Jake Owen.

A Midwesterner who now lives in Los Angeles, she filled her 20s with weekend visits to New music Town that integrated honky-tonk hopping, songwriting rounds and open up mic classes. On these outings, Croft stated, she cherished watching songwriters workshop 3-chord stories.

For “Torn Hearts,” she teamed her Nashville working experience with horror, comedic reduction and layered figures.

“What I love about region tunes,” Croft reported, “is men and women are telling tales. That is a thing I have often beloved to do no matter if I am composing a track or creating a script or producing a guide. And I assume of all the audio genres … region songs tells the most persuasive story. I’ve constantly been attracted to that.”

Tale carries on

She would not shy from troubles

Gals in country songs continue to battle an uphill struggle to obtain ground on radio and the highway when in comparison to male counterparts. From Leigh dating a manager previous more than enough to be her father to Jordan struggling to take the team shed a tour slot to a gentleman, Croft won’t lower corners in illustrating individuals struggles.

“It really is no secret that the entertainment industry at big, like audio, is notoriously challenging on women,” Croft said, including: “I preferred [the women] to be the focus. The adult males in the story have their instant in the sunshine, so to converse, but it is the women’s story. And they go for it. I did not want to create passive characters. I wanted to publish gals that choose large swings.”

And she wrote people with depth

Horror enthusiasts never typically see a film led by a few nuanced girls, this kind of as “Torn Hearts.” Layers of Leigh (played by Alexxis Lemire), Jordan (Abby Quinn) and Harper Dutch (Katey Sagal) unfold as the film progresses, providing insight into what motivates each individual plot twist — for much better or even worse.

None may be much more persuasive than Dutch, who Sagal plays with an off-kilter grit fueled by the premature dying of the character’s sister, Hope Dutch.

“I think Harper feels discarded and betrayed by a little something and some folks that she beloved really much,” Croft mentioned. “Her enthusiasm when she sees these ladies is a blend of seeking to assistance but also help herself.”

The songs are Croft’s, way too

Lyrics penned by Croft — which includes a music she commenced writing several years ago on her weekend visits to Nashville — designed the movie as thoroughly-produced music executed by Torn Hearts and Harper Dutch.

Writing the film and contributing to the soundtrack? A fairly cool 1-two punch, Croft said.

“The songs all belong to the artists in the tale and their manufacturing completely mirrored that,” she stated, introducing: “I was definitely pleased that Brea [Grant, director] and the producers [in] Nashville captured the essence of what the tracks ended up intended to do for the people and the tale.”

This posting originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: All about ‘Torn Hearts,’ a new nation new music horror movie