Actor Courtney Paige makes her directorial debut with the new film The Sinners. This genre-bending movie follows a high school girl clique comprised of seven members, with each girl embodying one of the seven deadly sins. When Aubrey (Brenna Llewellyn) threatens to expose the clique's dirty secrets, the Sins' leader, Grace (Kaitlyn Bernard), is forced to take action. But things unravel as a serial killer begins targeting the girls, picking them off one by one.

Speaking to CBR, The Sinners stars Kaitlyn Bernard and Brenna Llewellyn talked about how, while they might play frenemies in the film, that couldn't be further from the truth off-set. Together, they discuss working with a "powerhouse" female director and adapting a scary Latin chant with words like unicorns and rainbows.

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CBR: Kaitlyn, I saw you in 1922, so I know this isn’t your first horror film. How did you land this role, and were you specifically looking to get back into the genre?

Kaitlyn Bernard: It’s funny. I actually received a direct message on Instagram from the director in December before we started filming in April. She sent me a message, which I think was through her producer at the time because I had done an acting class with her producer. She just told me she had written this script about seven girls who embodied the seven deadly sins, and she was thinking about casting me. I said, “Okay, great.” Then I really didn’t hear anything until March when I got a tape for it. I couldn’t go in live because I was in LA during pilot season, but I ended up sending in a self-tape, and that was that.

I’m not a huge horror movie fan. I don’t like being scared, but I always end up being cast in thrillers and horror. So, it wasn’t intentional at all. I love the emotional depth of thriller and horror films. I think from that aspect, I love being in them. I don’t like watching them.

What about you, Brenna? What attracted you to the part?

Brenna Llewellyn: I read for a couple different roles before I landed the role of Aubrey. So, I did a self-tape for one of them, got a callback, went into the room and did a cold read for another character, and then they sent me some size to go back home and do another tape for Aubrey. The minute I read Aubrey’s size, I fell in love with her. I don’t want to spoil too much, but there’s a turning point in the end. Reading, I didn’t get the whole part of that, but just the one paragraph chunk, I was like, “Oh my gosh, I’ve always wanted to have that character twist.”

While watching the film, I couldn’t help but think about which of the seven deadly sins I would be categorized as. Let’s keep it light, but is there a deadly sin you can relate to? For example, I’d probably say gluttony because I have a terrible habit of binge-watching new series.

Llewellyn: Yeah, I would agree with gluttony. I mean, I think all the sins I have some sort of thing with but definitely gluttony. I have an addiction to donuts and ice cream. I can eat a whole liter and a half of cookie dough ice cream [laughs].

Bernard: Yeah, it’s hard. I’m not sure. I think that I have different traits from each of the sins, definitely not lust, though. So, probably gluttony.

What was it like working together, considering you are frenemies in the film?

Llewellyn: It was cool. We are all around the same age, so we all got along pretty well. The girls were so open-minded and open-hearted and just accepting and good listeners. I wasn’t on set as much as the other girls because I disappear at some point. So, I know I missed out on some bonding moments, but we hung out outside of set and everything. So, it was a blast.

Bernard: It was a lot of fun. We all kind of became a little family. I think when you are working on a project, you become really close with people in the cast because you are working really long days and you’re emotional. So, ultimately, by the end of it, you’ve formed this bond that’s almost like no other because you’ve gone through so many emotions, whether it be in the scene or off-set in general. It’s really physically and emotionally demanding.

Yeah, we had a lot of fun outside of set. We filmed a music video dancing to “7 rings” by Ariana Grande during lunch one time and apparently Brenna as it, so I need to watch it. But, yeah, it was a lot of fun working together.

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The Sinners - pray circle

The “prayer circle” scene was one of my favorites. Kaitlyn, was shooting that as intense as it felt on screen?

Bernard: Yes and no. We were asked this question a couple of interviews ago, and I think having a weapon on set--even though we know that there’s nothing in it, that it’s not loaded—does add that danger element to any scene because it’s a gun. So, I think that definitely raised the stakes.

It’s funny because the chant we have in that scene, we actually changed it. Originally, it was going to be kind of a devil chant. We all got freaked out because we are in this attic of an old house, and we were like, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t be chanting a devil’s chant.” So, we changed it to sparkles and unicorns and rainbows in Latin. I think there are little elements of that when you’re filming in an old house that adds another layer too.

What about you, Brenna, because you’re essentially ganged up on by people you think are your closest friends?

Llewellyn: Yeah, exactly. I was definitely prepping that sadness and that betrayal since the moment that I woke up that day. You have to shovel it in quickly right before the scene because she isn’t entering the scene expecting that, right? So, I was just making sure I felt that emotion right before I go in and living that feeling of your friends betraying you and going to your deepest, deepest fear because she was so religious and to have them suddenly start talking about devil stuff is shocking to her. It’s breaking her entire world. So, I tried really having that fear and that sadness come through.

You both alternate between the villain and the victim throughout the film. Which role was more fun to step into as an actor?

Bernard: I love playing the villain. I think it’s a lot of fun. But I think what is so interesting about Grace is that she doesn’t want to be the villain. I think that things get out of hand really fast and then takes a step back and realizes what she’s just done—kidnapping her friend, her friend running away. So, I think there’s a lot of layers to playing that character where you get to see that it wasn’t her intention to be the villain and she’s kind of turned into this monster that she didn’t want to be.

Llewellyn: Yeah, I got to say that I love playing the villain as well. I think most villains wouldn’t call themselves villains, so it’s finding that reason why they are acting in that abnormal way. It’s so far from yourself in real life that it’s fun to just experiment with it and go crazy and just feel it.

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The Sinners - The Sins trailer

The Sinners follows the story of a high school clique gone bad. Why do you think these types of films continue to fascinate audiences?

Bernard: I think I can speak from personal experience when I say that when I’ve watched films, before even reading the script for The Sinners, I think of Jawbreaker, Heathers, like that type of high school clique film. I think younger girls almost aspire to have that type of bond, that kind of friendship. I know I did, not necessarily with the horrors that ensue after, but I think just having that group friendship and being seen as the “popular” girls that everyone looks at and aspires to be was, at least for me, what I wanted with my friendships in high school.

Llewellyn: Exactly. Even the rebellious nature, I think as a teen, everyone wants to rebel against the rules. People are so confined by what their parents are saying, by what their teachers are saying, that people older than them are looking down on them, so anything to do with rebelling and getting back at those kinds of people is enticing to that audience.

Unfortunately, there are still too few female directors, especially in the horror genre. What was it like working with Courtney Paige?

Bernard: Well, Courtney is a powerhouse director. She is one of the hardest working people I know. She is so driven, so determined. When she says she wants to do something, she’ll do it. She just has that kind of mindset that nothing will stop her from getting what she wants. I think that was awesome to have on set, that presence where we were all working together, and we all were like, “Let’s get this thing done.” We knew we were going to get it done because she has that drive.

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Llewellyn: Yeah, she’s a hustler, and she created so many other opportunities for females to join her and be uplifted by her drive. It was so nice being directed by her because she has such a clear vision that there is no room for indecisiveness or unsureness or lack of faith. So, it was such a breeze to work with her creative vision.

What’s one of your favorite memories from set?

Bernard: Well, the very first day was a lot of fun because we all went to the mall and we wanted to shoot some stills. So, we went into the photo booth—this is kind of the first time that we all met—we walked around the mall with our outfits, and it just a really good bonding experience. It just really grew our relationships as characters and then obviously as real people too.

Llewellyn: Yeah, that was one of my favorite days too. I still don’t have any of those Polaroids. I want some of those copies [laughs].

Directed by Courtney Paige, The Sinners stars Kaitlyn Bernard, Brenna Llewellyn, Brenna Coates, Keilani Elizabeth Rose, Jasmine Randhawa, Carly Fawcett, Natalie Malaika, Aleks Paunovic, Lochlyn Munro. The film premieres On Demand on Feb. 19.

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