Arturo Hilario
El Observador
An action movie that combines the best of filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez is sure to be entertaining, funny and unique.
Snag, which hits theaters and digital on April 28, combines the aforementioned elements into a wildly absurd, kinetic, and entertaining action comedy that Director/writer/actor Ben Milliken and co-star Sofia Castro are proud to talk about.
Recently we had the opportunity to chat with both leads in the film to find out more about this action fairytale that has their characters, named Snag and Valentina, hurtling towards danger and rekindling romance.
Milliken is a Brit raised in Australia, and a former stunt performer who is bringing his experience to his first-time role as a director, writer and actor.
After moving to Los Angeles, Milliken filled his acting resume with film and television roles including Universal’s Blue Crush 2, CSI: Miami, Melrose Place, and a recurring role on Amazon’s hit show Bosch.
Castro is an award-winning Mexican actress starring in her first US movie with Snag, bringing to the table a resume spanning from telenovelas, hit Netflix shows, and numerous theater productions at the famous Teatro Libanes in Mexico.
To those outside of Mexico, Castro comes from a famous family of the arts, as her parents are actress Angélica Rivera and producer José Alberto Castro.
Find out how Milliken and Castro worked on bringing Snag to the big screen, from the initial inspiration to how they filmed the action-packed adventure in the great outdoors with a cast that also includes Jaime Camil, Jonny Beauchamp, David Zayas, Michelle Ortiz and Ana Ortiz.
What was your initial vision for this film, and did you have any specific inspirations that led you and your co-writer to come up with this story?
Ben
Okay, so the idea for this movie originally happened in 2017 during a conversation on a very, very cold night in winter. And it sort of evolved from there. One of the questions I always get is “what was the movie that made you want to become an actor?”
I can never answer the question because there are so many movies. But then recently I’ve had the question, “what was the movie that made you want to become a filmmaker?” And that one’s very easy to answer. And it’s movies like Desperado, it’s movies like Kill Bill and it’s movies like Pulp Fiction and ultimately that genre and that kind of vibe of film was sort of the inspiration that kind of led to the way that this story could be told, and we developed it from there.
What was the filming experience for you both with this action-filled movie?
Sofia
Well, it was great. I had so much fun doing this movie because it was my first movie and my first action movie. So it is a huge whole experience because you have to be really well prepared and you have to be really into the things that you are doing. I think we had a blast and it was so much fun.
And for me, this movie is a dream come true and I’m really grateful for this opportunity and I want to do it again. I want to go back in time, being in New Mexico shooting this amazing movie.
Ben
For me, it was a lot of the action and stuff and doing a lot of the stunts and a lot of the really cool things, they were like bucket list things for me. I mean, blowing things up and jumping out of the way of explosions and falling through tables and all. I love to throw myself into things like that and just kind of go for it. So this movie checked off a lot of the bucket list things that I had that I would dream of as a kid.
Ben, what was it like for this being your directorial debut? What were the challenges and overall, what has this experience been for you?
Ben
Challenges. I mean, impostor syndrome, it was kind of one of those things where every single day you sort of wake up and think “what am I doing here?” But I think the biggest thing coming out the other side is how wonderful of an experience it actually was to be able to take something from an idea one night to then see it come to life in front of you while you’re shooting it, to then see it come to life even more while you’re editing it. And just to go through this process of creation. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Sophia, as someone who has worked in the theatrical arts, what are the unique things of moving from stage to film and working on something like this with Ben, like an action feature? And is either one of them easier to go to and from?
Sofia
Well, I think this work is not easy at all, but I think doing my first movie in the states, it was a huge thing for me. And I had to work a lot for this character. And I did an eight-scene audition and then a call back and then preparing for the role and being there, it’s different.
I always do television and theater and stuff, and it’s a completely different thing, doing a movie and doing an action movie. And Ben was really kind with me, and he was with me on set as a director and as a co-partner. So he helped me a lot. And, I mean, I enjoy it. I want to do another movie with Ben and chapter two. And, yeah, I love being in this movie.
So, for both of you, what do you hope your audience audiences leave with after watching Snag?
Ben
I personally really hope that audiences have a lot of fun with this movie. At the end of the day, this movie is a love story, but also, I feel like this is a movie that is a lot of fun. There’s characters that you love in this movie, and I want the audiences to be able to escape into a different world for a short amount of time and experience something new and just have a blast. That’s my goal for this movie.
Sofia
For me, I want them to fall in love with Valentina and to feel that crazy love that Snag and she have between each other.
Snag is in select theatres & on digital April 28, 2023. On Demand May 12, 2023.
