Things Heard & Seen is the latest supernatural thriller coming to Netflix on April 29, but it also explores a marriage falling apart at the seams in 1980. Based on the acclaimed novel All Things Cease to Appear Elizabeth Brundage, the story follows Manhattan couple Catherine (Amanda Seyfried, Mank) and George Claire (James Norton, The Nevers) as they move to the Hudson Valley into a house with a haunted history.
While the spirits of the house begin to invade their life, the marriage of the Claires is already on thin ice thanks to George’s lies and Catherine’s isolation. Filmmakers Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman (American Splendor) weave together a perfect picture of marital agony while never forgetting they’re telling a ghost story at the same time.
Seyfried and Norton spoke to Screen Rant about taking on two such complicated characters, and what their own experiences with the supernatural are.
You were both fabulous in this film, and I was really impressed by how different your performances were from what I would expect of you. Can you talk about what it was like diving into these characters who are such opposite extremes?
Amanda Seyfried: It’s hard to play women who are so repressed and so afraid of their shadows, and who don’t understand their own strength. But the whole point is, there’s an arc and she does find her strength, and that’s attractive when you have a lot to play in one person. Because we’re all complex, of course. It’s not black and white.
There’s always a version of myself in everybody, but yeah, it did feel a little bit further from the truth for me. And as fun as it was to play that version of her in the beginning, we all have it. There’s a lot of trauma in there, and that’s also something we all have in different ways. And it’s definitely a learning experience all the time when you play somebody else.
James, hopefully George is a lot further from the truth for you. What was it like diving into his character?
James Norton: It was a challenge; the challenge which every actor loves is that wonderful art where you take the audience by surprise. It’s always fun to tap into the darker side, and George start to someone who we can all relate to: slightly insecure, running away from demons, but not quite sure what they are. And then he just gets darker and darker.
At some point, he leaves everyone else behind and turns up on the deep fringes of humanity. The dark ego, it’s scarily fun often. Because we’re all obsessed with that subversive side to us all, and when you get to play in the film, you have a free license to go there.
That sounds like I want to condone that; I don’t. But also, it’s complicated about George because he’s obviously being largely affected by the house and the echoes of the past, so you’re not quite sure how much of it is his own agency and how much of it is the previous owners. It was kind of a complicated journey to go on in that respect.
Speaking of the house, did you guys experience or realize anything new about either spirituality or the supernatural in the process of filming?
Amanda Seyfried: I didn’t learn anything. I just believe that there’s energies, and I don’t think we’re alone. Not that I’ve ever seen any ghosts. I don’t think I ever will. But I’m not ruling it out. I’m attracted to this genre and watching and experiencing it as an actor, because I just want to get closer to it in some ways, and I feel safe when there’s so many people around. So, it’s like the scaredy cat’s version of it.
Things Heard & Seen premieres on Netflix April 29.
