Model Chloe Yu and The Resort’s Nina Bloomgarden deliver fantastic performances in Jane, a psychological thriller about a stress-ridden high school student in mourning.
After Chloe Yu’s character, Jane, commits suicide, her best friend, Olivia [Madelaine Petsch], endures anxiety attacks and visions of Jane haunting her. Olivia’s behaviors worsen as Nina Bloomgarden’s character, Camille, enrolls into her high school and becomes an instant rival. To cope with her stress, anxiety, and grief, Olivia partners with former best friend Izzy [Chloe Bailey], using their dead friend’s social media account as a way to anonymously cyberbully their high school community.
Jane is currently playing at select AMC Theaters and will be available to stream September 16 on Creator+. It is a dark and twisted thrill ride you won’t want to miss.
Pop Crave had the chance to speak with Yu and Bloomgarden about social media’s impact on mental health, working on set with Chloe Bailey and Madelaine Petsch, and their immense love for all things Trader Joe’s!
Congratulations on Jane! You guys both do a phenomenal job in this film. I first wanted to ask, what was it about this film’s story that personally drew you in and made you decide that you wanted to be part of it?
Nina: I think the themes of mental health, social media, and how that plays a huge role in today’s younger generation. That really drew me in – and the way it’s told.
Chloe: Exactly! Exactly the same with me.
Chloe, it can be quite intense when you’re the character that the entire movie is named after. I mean, that’s kind of an iconic thing! Did having your character’s name as the title of the film add to the pressure of the role for you?
Chloe: Yeah, I feel like with Jane’s character, she’s what kind of pushes the drama, and the drama ensues around it. I definitely did feel some pressure, but it was great to be with such an amazing cast, crew, and director. Sabrina [Jaglom] was great in telling me what she wanted and what she wanted to convey, and it was a good shoot. I felt taken care of the whole time.
Nina, your character, Camille, has a lot going on involving heavy subject matters and not being believed by one’s own community. The fire is fueled even more when the “Jane” account strikes for the first time and causes even more disbelief to occur with Camille’s situation. What do you hope audiences take away from your character’s story and how peers like Olivia can sometimes treat people with similar situations to Camille’s?
Nina: It’s really complicated because anxiety is a brutal thing, and there is a lot of pressure when you are at that age. I think talking about it is really important. I think everyone should have someone to confide in, whether it’s a therapist or a parent – but I think a lot of the time, as you can tell in this film, there’s not really an authority figure who’s there for any of the girls. I think that’s also really common. But yeah, just not bottling it up and seeking out someone to talk to, someone that you trust.
This is a stellar cast! We’ve got both of you, and we’ve also got Chloe Bailey and Madelaine Petsch! What was it like working with Chloe and Madelaine on set, and do you maybe have a favorite moment with them from set?
Chloe: Oh my God, they were so amazing!
Nina: Yeah, they were really sweet. They were so fun to be around.
Chloe: We were saying that being on set kind of felt like summer camp! It was a really good time.
This movie is INTENSE! What was it like being part of the psychological thriller genre, and is there anything you guys would do to try and lessen the tension after having an intense scene?
Nina: It’s really interesting because you have to tailor your character to the point of view of the protagonist, and sometimes the protagonist will be an antagonist! That’s psychological within itself, and a lot of conversations needed to be had with the director. I had a lot of conversations with Madelaine and Sabrina, kind of on how to create Camille and have it not be so rooted in reality – more rooted in the anxiety that Olivia is experiencing.
Chloe: The whole movie is kind of like a dark fantasy, and it was really cool to be part of a psychological thriller. It’s one of my favorite genres. After shooting scenes, we just kind of cooled down for a minute and…
Nina: Get some good food!
Chloe: Yeah, get some good food!
Nina: Yeah, and a lot of times when you’re on location, it’s not like you can go home, so you have to kind of create your routine around wherever you are to center yourself.
Chloe: That’s why I think we also get so close to each other. We got so close during filming.
A lot of this film centers around the topic of cyberbullying and the anonymity of the internet. Aside from maybe downloading a VPN (which we see in the movie), what would you like to see audiences, particularly younger audiences, take away from this film about internet usage?
Nina: It’s not real life, and I think people use it as a crutch a lot of the time… and a way to escape. That’s not always the healthiest move. I think a lot of people use social media as a way to deal with their mental health. As I said before, talking to someone instead of just diving into your phone, because I think your phone fuels those irrational thoughts.
Chloe: Yeah, and I hope we get to start a conversation on the effects of social media. I feel like in today’s world, we’re moving so fast, and we’re constantly consuming more and more. We often forget to prioritize our social, physical, and mental well-being. It’s extremely important.
Last question! This film centers a lot around a high school debate team, including Camille being the queen of the debate team! What is a fun topic that you could debate about for hours on end if you had to?
Nina: That’s a good question! Um… I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s. I’d dive deep into Trader Joe’s and why it’s the best grocery store… They’re always revamping. Their products just get better and better. Those truffle almonds? I could talk about those forever.
Chloe: Ooh, they’re fire. I love a truffle almond [laughs]!
Jane is now playing at select AMC Theatres and will be available to stream September 16 on Creator+.
For more information on how to watch Jane: https://creatorplus.com/jane
