Goodnight Mommy Stars Naomi Watts And Nicholas And Cameron Crovetti Spill Spooky Secrets [Exclusive Interview]
Children are supposed to be able to trust their mothers, but in "Goodnight Mommy," now streaming on Prime Video, that might not be the case. In this re-imagining of the 2014 Austrian horror film of the same name, twin boys Elias and Lukas (Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti) visit their mother at her country home only to discover that something is very wrong. Mother (Naomi Watts) is wearing a mask to help heal after some sort of surgical procedure, and she's definitely not acting like herself. Is their mother who she says she is, or are the twins dealing with something much more sinister?
I had the opportunity to sit down with Watts and the Crovetti twins to discuss all things "Goodnight Mommy," including Watts' concerns about scaring the children, the joys of a smaller film, and in honor of the upcoming Halloween holiday, everyone's favorite scary movies.
'I'm a mother, I worry about my kids getting hurt all the time.'
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Did you have any spooky or weird moments while filming? Horror movies are notorious for spooky sets.
Naomi Watts: Well, for me, I've done a few now in this genre. You don't get carried away like an audience does, because there's so many things that happen in post that create that tension. For me, it was really the moments where I was doing things to the children that just didn't feel right. I'm a mother, I worry about my kids getting hurt all the time. I worry about twisted thoughts in their heads all the time. To be in a space where you are actually being told to inflict those things, was really unsettling for me. Of course, I did my due diligence.
I not only had multiple conversations with their mom, the director and them... Also, knowing that they were coming in as seasoned professionals, they'd done quite a lot of work. Often when you work with children, it's their first time. I really did feel better about the situation because of that, but I also needed to do obsessive check-ins with them. "Are you okay? You understand this? Are you sure I can put my hand there? Are you sure I can... Do you feel safe?" Then break the tension in between takes with a silly game. That was the hardest part for me.
'I think it was very interesting to work with just us.'
I'm curious, Cameron and Nicholas, how is doing something like this different from doing something like, "The Boys," something big and wild, compared to something much more small, much more intimate?
Cameron Crovetti: Yeah, it is. For a show like, "The Boys," it's a huge cast, there's so much people. For a movie like this, most of the film it's just me. Yeah, it's just us three. It is a lot more personal, and you really have to prepare for those really emotional scenes. With working with just us, it made it more easier than working with a huge cast like on, "The Boys," or something like that. I think it was very interesting to work with just us, and really form that connection, which helped our performances when we actually shot those emotional scenes.
'I have multiple fears, and I think it's a fun emotion to play with.'
Naomi, as you've mentioned, you've done a lot of horror, a lot of horror remakes at this point. You're becoming a scream queen in your own right. I'm curious, what keeps drawing you to this genre? Why do you keep returning to horror?
Naomi Watts: It's not like I'm an obsessive horror fan or a psychological thriller fan. I do sometimes enjoy that genre or those genres, but I'm not scouring the internet going, "What's next, what's next?" As an actor, I think they're fun to play in. I'm definitely someone who's curious about fear myself. I have multiple fears, and I think it's a fun emotion to play with. It can really go in so many different directions. I love that the audience kind of has to get really involved in these kind of movies. You have to participate and watch carefully, track things.
The audience likes the surprises and twists and turns, even when they see them coming. Yeah, I just feel good in this genre. It's been a while though. I also have "The Watcher" coming out, which is in that genre too. Yeah, my first time back in this world in awhile, actually.
'We both really like horror movies.'
Cameron and Nicholas, what was it like acting with Naomi as your mom, and had you seen her in any of these other scary roles? She's the mom from "The Ring," that's where I was introduced to her.
Cameron Crovetti: Yes, we need to see "The Ring." We both really like horror movies.
Nicholas Crovetti: When we first got the audition, it was a while ago, a few years ago when we very first got the audition. During that time, we loved horror films, but I remember when I thought about "The Ring," I thought that was one of the horror films that was really creepy. I was like, "Oh, I don't know if I can watch that yet," but I should definitely watch it now.
NC: Yeah, so Naomi being in a lot of horror movies, it was... When we got this at a young age, we weren't as familiar of who she was because we were too young to watch some of those movies. Our parents were like, "Oh my gosh, Naomi Watts."
Naomi Watts: Definitely too young.
CC: Yeah, we've gotten older. We've seen more things from her. It was such a pleasure and truly an experience, it was just super fun.
'What's your favorite scary movie?'
Since Halloween's coming up, I have to ask... What's your favorite scary movie?
Naomi Watts: Yeah, I would say, "Don't Look Now" or "The Shining."
Cameron Crovetti: I would probably say, "Hereditary" is my favorite, "Hereditary," yeah.
Nicholas Crovetti: I also really like "The Shining." I don't know what else. Like, "It," that's a great one.
NW: If you've seen "The Shining," you can see "The Ring," don't you think?
NC: Yeah, I saw "The Shining" more recently. Yeah, I should watch "The Ring."
"Goodnight Mommy" will be streaming on Prime Video starting on September 16, 2022.