How One Of SXSW’s Buzziest Horror Movies Went From A Short Into A DIY Anthology Hit

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Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty, known for their independent, do-it-yourself approach to filmmaking, have created Grind, a horror film generating a lot of excitement at SXSW.

Both Grant and Dougherty have impressive backgrounds in the entertainment industry. Grant first gained recognition as an actress in shows like Heroes and Dexter, and later transitioned to writing, including work on Lucky, and even wrote and directed 12 Hour Shift. Dougherty has a diverse resume, having executive produced a segment of The ABCs of Death and co-written/produced Amber Tamblyn’s first film as a director, Paint It Black.

Grant and Dougherty collaborated before on their 2024 short film, MLM, which inspired their new movie, Grind. Grind is a horror anthology that examines the difficulties of today’s job market through four different stories. These stories cover topics like the pressures of multi-level marketing, the monotony of food delivery work, the disturbing side of moderating online content, and the fight to unionize a coffee shop.

Grant and Dougherty, who previously worked with Chelsea Stardust on Into the Dark, have assembled a talented cast of horror and comedy actors for their new film, Grind. The cast includes horror legend Barbara Crampton, Rob Huebel from Children’s Hospital, Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette of Barry, Mercedes Mason known from Fear the Walking Dead, James Urbaniak of The Venture Bros., and Ify Nwadiwe from Dimension 20. Grind premiered at SXSW to positive reviews from critics.

To celebrate its screening at the festival, Ash Crossan from ScreenRant spoke with Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea Stardust, Barbara Crampton, Rob Huebel, and Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette in our SXSW studio about their film, Grind. Grant explained that they filmed the MLM segment a year before the rest of the movie, and described the entire film as a genuinely independent, self-made project.

We filmed most of ‘MLM’ at Ed’s house – his real home – and his girlfriend was great about letting us. Originally, we’d planned the entire movie and had the story mostly figured out, but it took us time to get the funding and complete the rest of the production.

Discussing the themes of Grind, Crampton explained that a central idea of the film is the danger of powerful corporations controlling our lives and exploiting people for their own benefit. The conversation then shifted to how the filmmakers, Grant and Dougherty, decided how to structure the anthology. Grant jokingly said they ‘arm wrestled’ over it, but clarified that the division of the four segments actually came about organically as they wrote the story.

Dougherty jokingly said there was no chance Grant could direct the film’s “Content” section, since his co-director had never watched a truly frightening video. Grant agreed, and added that some of the videos Dougherty initially included were simply too disturbing and had to be cut from the final film.

She explained that for the film Stardust, she was the producer and director of the framing story, “Warehouse Wonders/The Black Box.” She jokingly described herself as “the tie-breaker” when it came to dividing up the directing responsibilities. While she found the work creatively satisfying, her position also came with a lot of pressure, and there was one main reason why.

I definitely felt the weight of responsibility when creating the opening and closing scenes, as they set the tone and leave a lasting impression on the audience. I’m grateful the filmmakers had faith in my vision. And even though making an independent film in Los Angeles is incredibly difficult, it was a truly rewarding and creatively satisfying experience.

The Grind Cast Put Their Full Trust Behind Grant & Dougherty’s Visions

I really enjoy watching your interviews and meetings, Barbara and Christopher – they’re hilarious and have a really dark sense of humor. Could you talk a bit about those moments and whether you had any freedom to improvise?

Absolutely, there was a lot of improvisation. My main focus was just reacting to Rob, and he never did anything the same way twice. As we discussed last night, I hadn’t seen the final product until we got here, and I’d forgotten how much fun we had on set. That playful energy really came through. I think the best comedic improv happens when the writing is really strong – it gives you a solid foundation and a great understanding of the characters. We hadn’t met before filming, but we immediately connected with how clever and funny the script was, which gave us the freedom to just go with it and have fun.

ScreenRant: Rob, you are a comedy genius, but you do play a lot of d—–ads.

Hey, my mom’s watching, so… [laughs] I enjoy playing unpleasant characters – it’s how I earn a living. There are plenty of awful people out there, and someone needs to satirize them. If comedians don’t do it, who will?

Ed Dougherty: It’s a service.

We’re all doing well. For me, this project was just a really enjoyable experience. When I found out Barbara was involved, I was thrilled – she’s an icon! I was especially excited to work on it because of her. It’s great to be part of a film that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking, without being preachy. It’s a wild ride – exciting, scary, and funny – but it also makes some really important points about the current state of work and who’s really in charge. That’s what made this project so appealing.

You know, it’s always funny hearing what lines people remember! I get recognized a lot for saying, “Me no likey nibbles.” Apparently, I say it in a way that people really latch onto – someone at ScreenRant even told me they’ve started repeating it as a little habit, which is wild! It’s cool to think a little line like that can stick with folks.

You know, I was thinking about this old line from ‘I Love You, Man’ the other day. It was a pretty awful, racist joke, and I said it years ago. I meant to acknowledge it later, maybe point out it was just part of a terrible character I was playing, and figured it was okay in context. But honestly, I’m probably more famous for this GIF of me throwing glitter! It’s this super happy, congratulatory thing – I’m in a blue suit with a mustache. Seriously, I think that’s how people will remember me. I’m pretty sure it’ll be on my tombstone if they ever have electronic ones! It’s from my show, ‘Children’s Hospital,’ and it’s just become… a thing.

The interviewer began by praising Barbara, calling her a legend, and asked what specifically drew her to the film. He wanted to know what made her decide to take on the role.

Barbara Crampton explained that her friend Brea approached her about a project. Brea asked her to play a role in a short film, and Barbara agreed immediately because she trusts Brea. Later, she learned the film was an anthology and was based on a real woman – the owner of a leggings company. After learning the woman was unlikeable, Barbara was eager to take on the part.

Brea Grant: She’s watching. She’s sending you leggings.

Barbara Crampton points out that villains rarely see themselves as the bad guys, and that’s true for her current roles too. She’s traditionally played likable characters, but she’s now enjoying portraying more complex, flawed, and older women, and she finds that a welcome change.

Brea Grant: You’re in your iconic villain era.

I’d love to play more villainous roles. Working with this cast – especially Rob, who’s incredibly funny – was great. We all hoped some of that comedic energy would carry over into other parts of the film. Brea is hilarious too. Even though the movie tackles serious issues by exposing the greed of corporations and institutions, it manages to find humor in it, which I think is important – we need to laugh to cope with difficult realities. Overall, it struck a good balance between horror and satire, and I think they built a really thought-provoking film with all the classic elements of the genre.

ScreenRant asked: What’s the most common thing people say to you, mention, or ask you about?

People often tell me I was great in Superbad, but they’re actually thinking of the actor who played McLovin. It happens with Barbarian too – they praise my performance, but Justin Long was in that one. And with The Spectacular Now, they think I’m Miles Teller. It’s funny because I keep getting recognized for the work of other short, brown-haired white actors.

ScreenRant: There’s no way, really? What about Girl Next Door?

I’ve noticed my career has these seasonal peaks. Around Christmas, people often recognize me from a particular role. Then there’s a group—like college guys from the early 2000s—who remember me from ‘The Girl Next Door.’ And I did a show that resonates with moms who had babies around 2010. It’s interesting how my work connects with different groups at different times—it just hits certain demographics.

ScreenRant: Well, you look exactly the same.

Christopher Rodriguez Marquette explains he recently woke up after being cryogenically frozen. He feels like his acting work is recognizable, but hasn’t quite reached mainstream success, so people often ask about his high school instead of his career.

I had a funny experience when I first moved to Los Angeles. I ran into someone I went to high school with at a restaurant, and it turned out he was a porn star. [Laughs]

Be sure to dive into some of ScreenRant‘s other SXSW coverage with:

  • Sun Never Sets Review
  • Dead Eyes Review
  • One Another Review
  • Dakota Fanning reacting to All Her Fault‘s record-breaking success
  • Kill Me Review
  • Sydney Chandler sharing her ideal Alien: Earth season 2 story for Wendy and the Lost Boys as production ramps up
  • Chandler, Takehiro Hira, Maximilian Lee Piazza & Brian Tetsuro Ivie talking Anima‘s experimental filming
  • Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Review
  • Saviors Review
  • Robin Tunney weighing in on a Mentalist revival after its Netflix resurgence
  • The cast and producer of I Love Boosters hype Boots Riley & Keke Palmer’s “unapologetic” new crime movie
  • Yul Vazquez explaining why he has yet to return to Severance
  • Jake Johnson on the chances of Peter B. Parker getting a Spider-Verse live-action spinoff
  • David E. Kelley, Elle Fanning and the Margo’s Got Money Troubles cast on their Apple TV comedy and why Michelle Pfeiffer was the only choice to help lead it
  • Elijah Wood teasing that his mysterious Ready or Not 2: Here I Come character may be immortal
  • The Ready or Not 2: Here I Come director and cast on the sequel’s new cabal of wealthy Satanists
  • The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist team breaking down just how extensive their research was
  • Family Movie Review
  • Jessica Rothe on the ongoing wait for Happy Death Day 3 to close out the Blumhouse franchise
  • Power Ballad Review
  • BenDavid Grabinski on how Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice breaks a classic sci-fi time-travel trope
  • Dakota Fanning, Joe Swanberg, Jake Johnson & Cory Michael Smith on the bizarre experience filming The Sun Never Sets

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2026-03-15 21:16