Spoilers ahead for Good Grief.
While various streaming services are always competing for viewership, those with a Netflix subscription know that it's constantly releasing new TV and film content. One of the new Netflix movies that's just arrived is Daniel Levy's directorial debut Good Grief. It's an emotional drama that takes span over the course of a year, and actress Ruth Negga explained to CinemaBlend how she tracked her character Sophie across such a long period of time.
The trailer of Good Grief shows that the movie opens by Daniel Levy's protagonist Marc losing his husband (Luke Evans) in a car crash on Christmas. His friends rally around him during the following year, including Ruth Negga's Sophie. As you can see in the video above, I had the privilege of speaking with the cast ahead of the movie's release. I asked the Passing actress how she tracked her emotional journey over the movie's year-long setting, and she told me:
Well, I mean she's a rather disordered person so that was perfect. You know what I mean? When you say it like that now it just, I think, was perfect for her. But that kind of energy. I feel like with Sophie she has an energy that is sort of bigger than her own body. Like she's tiny but her energy is wide and big. And sometimes she doesn't know what to do with it.
Points were made. While it might have been challenging to track where her character's head was throughout the course of shooting Good Grief, Ruth Negga seems to think that it was perfect for Sophie. She's a scattered, high-energy person throughout the film's runtime, which is exacerbated with the use of drugs and/or booze.
Daniel Levy revealed he had an acting coach while directing and starring in Good Grief, which shows just how specific all of the performances in the movie are. In the end the process was a success, as Levy, Negga, and the rest of the cast had great chemistry which buoyed the project that otherwise could have been a serious bummer.
In comparison to Schitt's Creek, Good Grief is a far more serious and emotional story for Levy to tackle as director, writer, producer, and star. The title makes it clear that the movie about the grieving process, and the power of family-- both chosen and given. Later in our conversation, Negga further shared how the was able to channel Sophie through her chaotic energy, telling me:
I love playing with energies in character and that was my way in for her. She's looking for her fit and she can't find it. And it's there. It's the awakening that happens when she puts all of the artifice down, she stops running. And you know in that moment where you stop and think 'That's it. Maybe'?
This really paid off, as Sophie is an intriguing and endlessly charismatic character in Good Grief, even at her worst. The cast of Good Grief all really nail it, and the movie is another clear highlight of Daniel Levy's talents as both an actor and filmmaker. Hopefully whatever comes next will include a reunion for he and Ruth Negga.
Good Grief is streaming now on Netflix. Be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
