Chloe Levine made a massive splash in her debut role as lonely Sophie in moody vampire movie The Transfiguration. Her follow up couldn’t be more different, as wild party girl Chelsea in The Ranger. Writer-director Jenn Wexler’s gnarly, angry, and crucially super authentic punk rock horror movie is another showcase for the young talent.
Her Chelsea might be worlds away from the quiet, isolated Sophie, but the two women actually have a lot in common. They’re both listlessly drifting through life, unsure of their places in the world and looking to a male figure to make sense of things. In Sophie’s case, it’s maybe-vampire Milo. In Chelsea’s, it’s both her dodgy boyfriend Garth and the titular authority figure, who she has a strange past with.
Also See: The Ranger Is Bloody, Smart And Unpredictable
Levine is terrific as Chelsea, neither helpless victim nor Lara Croft-esque badass once the carnage hits, but Granit Lahu is more than up to the challenge of playing her weedy, wannabe tough guy boyfriend. Even the punk rock accoutrements don’t seem to fit him right, hanging off his slight frame, as though he’s constantly putting on a costume to convince everyone of his aptitude.
The Frightfest synopsis for the flick promises carnage galore:
It’s the 1980s and a group of punks get busted selling drugs. Because a police officer gets fatally wounded in the showdown, Chelsea offers up her uncle’s cabin in a nearby national park as a hideout. There they cross paths with an officious ranger who has a weird connection to Chelsea’s past and will stop at nothing to enforce every single safety regulation even if it means resorting to the deadliest of means. Emulating slasher classics with sly élan and featuring a kick-ass punk soundtrack, Jenn Wexler’s debut feature is a post-modern splatter flick carrying the FrightFest seal of approval.
Directed and co-written by Jenn Wexler, The Ranger marks her feature debut. It stars Chloe Levine (The Transfiguration), Granit Lahu, Larry Fessenden (who also produced), and Jeremy Holm.
Wicked Horror caught up with leads Chloe Levine and Granit Lahu to talk punk rock, horror movies, playing a couple onscreen and lots more.
[yotuwp type=”videos” id=”j3U_rIwbJmY” ]
Interview conducted by: Joey Keogh
Camera: Richard Waters
Editing: Richard Waters
