Interview: Kevin Bacon, Carrie Preston and the cast of ‘They/Them’ discuss horror and queer representation [VIDEO]

In a genre that seems to be lacking in originality these days, the feature directorial debut of three-time Academy Award nominated and Tony-winning writer John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo, 2010’s Best Play – Red), They/Them, is a breath of fresh air. Set on the grounds of Whistler Camp (a conversion camp) run by Owen Whistler (Kevin Bacon), a group of LGBTQ students arrives with the promise of a “new sense of freedom.”

While the counselors attempt to dig deep into what makes these kids queer, a killer starts taking out the campers and counselors one at a time. The film was written by Logan and produced by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum and has a terrific ensemble join Bacon: Carrie Preston, Anna Chlumsky, Theo Germaine, Quei Tann, Anna Lore, Monique Kim, Darwin del Fabro, Cooper Koch, and Austin Crute.

What was fascinating about speaking with the cast and director of They/Them was finding out what drew them to the film. Bacon and Preston make references to Logan’s excellent writing style and a highlight was listening to how the Academy Award nominee approaches writing a project no matter what genre he’s tackling. The young cast talks about the importance of queer representation, not just in horror, but everywhere, tackling personal demons to play these roles and the ongoing danger of conversion therapy.

There’s so much to reference from our discussion with the cast and director of They/Them, and AwardsWatch is fortunate to bring our chat with the whole cast in its entirety.

They/Them is now streaming exclusively on Peacock.

Photos: Josh Stringer/Blumhouse