Filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal recently joined The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast to discuss her latest directorial project, “The Bride.” This film, a revisionist take on “The Bride of Frankenstein” starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, represents Gyllenhaal’s second feature directorial effort, following her critically acclaimed debut, “The Lost Daughter” in 2021, which earned her an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay.

Gyllenhaal revealed that making “The Bride” marked her first experience in studio filmmaking, a new and challenging, yet ultimately positive, endeavor. A significant part of this new process involved extensive studio test screenings conducted in malls, a fascinating experience she had not encountered before as either an actress or a director. During these screenings, the film’s depiction of violence and sexual violence became a primary point of discussion and concern.

The director shared that Warner Bros, the studio backing the movie, requested some of the violence to be toned down, meaning the version audiences will see is “even a little bit pulled back from what was originally in the movie.” Gyllenhaal recounted a conversation with a friend who speculated whether the response to the film’s violence would have been different had she been a male director. She also made it a priority during production not to desensitize the violence, ensuring that viewers would “at least for a moment, get to know” every character who is killed or hurt. This approach contrasts with a “Stormtrooper version of killing people,” aiming to show that “every single death has a consequence and a cost.”

Regarding the sexual violence depicted, Gyllenhaal noted that some women in the test screenings expressed discomfort, stating, “I don’t want to see a woman being violated.” While acknowledging this sentiment, she firmly believes that such portrayals, when handled thoughtfully, are essential reflections of