Fort Worth-Native and Scream Star Carlson Young on Her Feature Film Debut at Sundance

Fort Worth Country Day School alum Carlson Young knew she wanted to become an actress at a young age. She participated in theater in school and began looking for an agent at just 14 years old. When she was still in high school, Young got a role on a Disney TV show called As the Bell Rings. She later landed a gig on MTV’s Scream: The TV Series, as well as several other roles on popular series like Key and Peele and True Blood. In 2018, Young co-wrote, directed, and starred in a short film called The Blazing World, which debuted at Sundance Film Festival. Now, Young is back with the full-length film starring herself, Udo Kier, and Dermot Mulroney.

A horror-fantasy-thriller, this surreal film follows Margaret (Young) decades after the death of her twin sister. She returns home to her parents’ (played by Mulroney and Vinessa Shaw), as they are moving out of her childhood home, and finds herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive.

The Blazing World premieres at Texas Theatre on January 31. We caught up with Carlson Young before the Sundance Film Festival premiere.

PaperCity: How did the idea for The Blazing World come about? Have you always wanted to make a horror film?
Carlson Young: I’ve always wanted to direct in the genre space. What I love is world building, editing… and thematically elevated, psychological horror has always resonated with me. The idea for the story came first from a series of recurring dreams. Then I developed the feature script with my co-writer Pierce Brown into the iteration it is now.

What are you hoping audiences take away from the experience?
I don’t want to put any firm expectations out there — you never know how people will respond to a film. But hopefully people will find the movie thought-provoking and become introspective about their own experiences with family, life, or trauma.

You have a really great cast! How did you land on Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, and Vinessa Shaw for these roles?
I wrote the character for Udo, so when he loved the script and became attached it was a dream come true.  Dermot and Vinessa became a part of the conversation organically the more we creatively discussed those roles. I am beyond grateful to have them in my film. I think their work is exceptional in this.

Where was the film shot, and did you have to film during the pandemic?
We shot in August during the pandemic. We had a smaller crew than originally planned, of course, and we all quarantined and lived together outside of Austin in Dripping Springs at a wedding resort. Our hero location was just down the road from where we were all living. It all kind of worked out geographically in an eerily perfect way. We were able to shoot the film safely in a time that was so full of uncertainty and anxiety. For that I’m so grateful.

How does it feel to have your first full-length film premiered at Sundance and in-person in DFW at Texas Theatre?
It’s a dream come true — no other way to say it.

Do you have any other projects coming up?
I’m about finished with the next script I’d like to direct, Femina Nox, which I’m very excited about! I’m really looking forward also to reading great material that comes my way and expanding this surrealist genre style I’m so inspired by, whether that’s in TV, film, or otherwise.