How NB Mager found her ‘anxiety-to-creativity pipeline’ to make the provocative ‘Run Amok’

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NB Mager‘s first feature film, “Run Amuk,” is premiering today at the Sundance Film Festival’s U.S. Dramatic Competition. It’s based on a short film she made in 2023 with the same title.

It’s hard to discuss the movie without revealing key details, but it’s sure to spark discussion. The story centers around a small town still recovering from a shooting that happened years ago. Meg, a teenager played by Alyssa Marvin (who was also in the original short film), lives with her aunt and uncle. Her closest companion is her cousin, Penny (Sophia Torres), a gifted singer. When Meg begins writing a musical based on the traumatic event, it creates a ripple effect throughout the town, affecting many lives.

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Filmmakers and actors at the Sundance Film Festival shared their reactions to the recent passing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and discussed continuing immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota. They also explored the power of art to capture and comment on current events.

The movie’s cast now includes Patrick Wilson, Molly Ringwald, Margaret Cho, Elizabeth Marvel, and Bill Camp.

Before the festival began, Mager, age 40, joined a video call from her Brooklyn home to discuss the story behind the show, how the actors were chosen, and the music used in the performances. (Be aware that some minor plot details will be mentioned.)

ā€œRun Amokā€ has a unique tone thatā€™s both playful and thoughtful. How would you characterize it?

I originally envisioned the story as a thriller-horror. Meg wasnā€™t planning a musical at first; she was a high school journalist investigating something dark. But I felt like that genre didnā€™t quite fit the storyā€™s core, so I switched it to her directing a musical. Interestingly, that initial darker tone still influenced the final version, creating a unique blend. The show tackles difficult themes, but itā€™s presented with a lot of humor and over-the-top energy.

Laughter has a way of making people feel comfortable and open. I believe comedy is really honest, allowing us to talk about and question things we normally wouldnā€™t. Thatā€™s what I aim for in my work ā€“ blending serious and even difficult topics with humor to create a unique and engaging feel.

The festivalā€™s descriptions of the film carefully avoid terms like ‘school shooting’ or ‘gun violence’. What’s your preferred way to describe the movie’s subject matter?

For me, this story feels much larger than just a single event. If I was going to tell a high school coming-of-age story set in this country, it was important to honestly reflect the reality that these things happen here. I wanted to approach the topic with curiosity and empathy, and really focus on the personal journey of growing up. It’s a subject that can often be controversial, so I wanted to handle it carefully.

This story really focuses on young people questioning the beliefs and expectations adults have given them. It explores how they grapple with difficult topics like loss, challenges, and violence ā€“ all the things they face as they grow up and become adults.

Ultimately, this movie is about children realizing that adults won’t provide easy answers. They’re forced to find their own way, and even when adults do offer guidance, it feels filtered and doesn’t truly satisfy them. These kids are searching for something genuine and unfiltered, something the adults can’t provide, so they take matters into their own hands.

How did you approach adding more actors for the full-length film after starting with the short? And it’s clear you worked with a really talented group of performers.

Patrick Wilson was the first actor I approached for the biggest adult role in the story, and thankfully, he agreed to join the project. I like to write personalized offer letters, and for Patrick, I created one structured like a three-act play, recognizing his theater background. I think that creative approach really resonated with him ā€“ we actually met for lunch to discuss it! It turned out we both came from theater, and I found that with Patrick, Elizabeth Marvel, Bill Camp, Molly Ringwald, and all the other talented actors, we shared a common understanding and language thanks to our training.

We worked with the young actors who created the musical, bringing everyone together on stage in the auditorium. We spent about an hour doing improvisations, letting them interact and build relationships as if they were living a typical day in high school, all without a script. This helped us establish a strong foundation for their characters and connections before we even started working with the written scenes. Ultimately, I just really enjoy collaborating with actors.

I don’t want to give away too much about the music, but knowing this musical was made by students and wasn’t necessarily known for being high-quality, what was the process of creating it like?

The idea really fits with the movie’s overall message: these kids are actively searching for answers and figuring things out themselves. They’re naturally curious, but the information they find isn’t quite right for what they need, so they have to adapt it. They take these songs, which donā€™t directly address their questions, and use them in a surprising way. It’s about making the most of what they have and using available resources to solve the mystery themselves.

Was it tricky for you, especially in the writing, not to have it feel like a message movie?

I don’t really have a specific message I’m trying to convey with my art. It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to tell the audience what to think or do, but I believe my role isn’t to provide answers. Instead, I want to present the questions I’m exploring, and invite the audience to grapple with them alongside me.

My films, both the ones Iā€™ve made and the ones I plan to make, all come from my personal anxieties. I find that when I’m worried about something, it grows until I need to explore it through writing. Thatā€™s how my anxiety turns into creative work. To manage this, I try to approach things with genuine curiosity. That’s the power of art ā€“ it fosters curiosity and understanding. I donā€™t feel itā€™s my place to tell people what to believe or offer solutions, especially when I donā€™t have the answers myself.

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2026-01-27 00:31