House of Spoils star Ariana DeBose has isolated ‘the Blumhouse technique’

After a Fantastic Fest preview of Amazon Video’s lush, intense culinary-crisis horror movie House of Spoils, star Ariana DeBose said something designed to make any fan of horror-focused media powerhouse Blumhouse sit up and take notice: “I’d never done anything in this genre. I didn’t fully understand we were making a Blumhouse horror. […] And then when I got into the process of making it, I realized, Oh! There’s a technique to this!”

DeBose is the Tony-nominated Broadway singer and dancer who won an Oscar for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story remake, and went on to star as Asha in Disney’s Wish. As she noted in that Q&A, she isn’t known for horror projects, so discovering the “Blumhouse technique” for House of Spoils was an exciting experience. The movie, about a chef who tries to launch her own haute cuisine restaurant on what turns out to be a haunted estate — think season 2 of The Bear, but with furious ghosts, witches, and/or witch-ghosts — is streaming on Amazon now.

Polygon sat down with DeBose just before the launch of House of Spoils to talk horror technique, playing a character with no name, why Top Chef gives her anxiety, and why she has no ambition to be Tom Cruise.

Polygon: At the Fantastic Fest Q&A, you mentioned learning “the Blumhouse technique,” but didn’t go into detail. What did you need to figure out how to do differently for a horror movie?

Ariana DeBose: I think there’s an art to building anticipation and anxiety in a film, and there are certain tactics you can take in the context of acting a scene, drawing things out in a way that might feel really unnatural. As an artist, I’m playing a human, so my first instincts are always like, What’s the very human version of this scene? There were times [on House of Spoils] where I was like, Oh my gosh, I’m walking down this hallway, and it’s taking me seven minutes. Is this actually effective? Then I would get in my head at different moments of like, Well, now my arms feel frozen.

So it was interesting, the self-doubt that was created in those moments. But [I realized] the art is about drawing things out, and the craft is about keeping it human. I think the simplest things on camera are the hardest: Someone’s like, “OK, show me how you walk,” and suddenly you’re walking, same arm [forward] as leg. The math doesn’t really math!

You mentioned at the Fantastic Fest Q&A that this role felt unusual because you weren’t singing or dancing. If you’re dancing in Hamilton, your timing is so choreographed to the music. Do you get in your head about movement and pacing in other films? Or was that specific to the horror element here?

It was specific to this! I have such an extensive dance background, and dance and music to me, it’s an entirely different world. It’s its own language. I speak dance and music in that way very seamlessly. So I have absolutely no fear when it comes to picking up choreography or timing or musicality, or shifting the timing of the musicality on a dime. That is very intuitive to me, and it also brings me a lot of joy, finding a different color in music and dance. It is very fun. 

Where did you find the joy in this movie? What was the highlight for you?

This movie was a lot of playing in the dark for me. During the process, I came to the realization that I was partially Method during the time I was making this movie. I don’t know that that was very fun, full disclosure! [laughs] I will try to stay away from Method acting — I don’t know that that works for me.

The joy for me was in the process of working with these people. You know, we made this movie in Budapest, and our crew was predominantly Hungarian, so it was a real opportunity to build a world with people who don’t necessarily come from all the same walks of life. So getting to see and experience filmmaking through their eyes was very perspective-opening for me.

Also, it was the first time I was the top of the call sheet. So I realized very quickly that I did have influence over the energy of a set, and that kept me on my P’s and Q’s. It didn’t matter if I was still feeling Chef’s emotions — I wanted to show up responsibly for the people that were on that set, and try and help be a positive entity and help find solutions when there were challenges. That element was very joyful for me.

As you just noted, this is a character whose name we don’t know. No one calls her anything but “Chef.” What were the conversations like with the directors in terms of why it was important that she didn’t have any identity outside of her job?

It was one of the first things we talked about! I found it so fascinating. They asked me, “Do you think she needs a name?” And I said no. They were like, “We don’t think so either.” The reasoning we came to, ultimately, was this is a human being wholly defined by her work. At the time you meet her, there is no work-life balance, there’s only work. I thought that was very relatable, actually.

I think it’s probably a commonality in not all, but many ambitious people. It’s very tunnel-vision, very focused on achievement or excellence. It told us a lot about who she was, and her psyche. This is not a person you see out with friends a ton. If it doesn’t have to do with food or excellent technique, or achieving the goal of starting the restaurant, you don’t see her doing it. I thought that was paramount to the story.

We’ve seen such a boom recently in reality shows, fiction shows, and movies about culinary ambitions. Are you a fan of anything in particular in this field? Is there anything you love and watch that you drew from for House of Spoils?

I am a fan of The Bear — I binged the first season, actually, from the standpoint of, I want to make sure the script I’m reading [isn’t a knockoff]. I’m never interested in duplicating or recycling something. I did watch quite a few cooking shows. I do enjoy Top Chef — it brings me a lot of anxiety, but I love that there’s art in it, too. But I think the culinary arts as a whole lean themselves toward great drama, especially in the non-scripted world. It’s honest and raw and not always pretty. It’s always a search for excellence and being the best, creating the greatest food and the most beautiful food, and creating a great environment.

Expectations that high are almost unachievable, and watching people in the pursuit of that is great content. I have such respect for any and all people in that particular workforce after doing this movie, because I realized just how much effort and determination and resilience and ingenuity has to go into it to be able to execute at that level. And there’s so much care and heart, too.

These are humans who really are trying to provide people with an experience, a service, food, nourishment. Food brings people together. It’s not all about moneymaking, you know what I mean? So now, when I go into a restaurant, if I didn’t before, I walk in with a whole heap of grace and gratitude for the moment that I get to be in, because of these folks’ very fine, hard work.

You also mentioned at Fantastic Fest that you got to shoot a stunt for this movie, which was a new experience for you, and you were very excited about it, but it was cut from the movie. What was the stunt?

I thought it was really cool, but I don’t think they needed it in the context of the storytelling. There’s a moment where Chef comes face-to-face with the witch, and there’s one of those iconic horror screaming shots that I love. And then Chef would have been jacked back by something supernatural, and you would have seen her body go like [mimes flying through the air with limbs thrown up in motion]. There was a rope on me, and someone pulled it, and I had to throw my body back and land safely.

I love stunts! I think my dance background and my physicality lend themselves to it. And for some odd reason, I’m not afraid of that sort of thing. I am no Tom Cruise. You will not catch me hanging off a helicopter! Honestly, mad props, Mr. Cruise. But I will not be doing that… Well, maybe, for the right amount of money. And insurance. Lots of insurance. But I had so much fun doing that, so I’m sad the world doesn’t get to see it. I think it was really cool.

House of Spoils is streaming on Prime Video now.