Maggie Gyllenhaal has revealed that she toned down the sexual violence in her upcoming film The Bride! following feedback from test screenings. The horror sci-fi, which marks her second directorial effort, stars Jessie Buckley as a murdered 1930s Chicago woman resurrected by a scientist to be a companion for Frankenstein's monster, played by Christian Bale.
In an interview with The New York Times, Gyllenhaal confirmed that the film contains sexual violence and violence. She explained that as a major studio release from Warner Bros., the film underwent extensive testing, including screenings in malls. A key point of consensus among viewers was whether the violence was excessive.
Gyllenhaal noted that she was asked to remove some of the content, and she complied. 'So what you’re seeing is even a little bit pulled back from what was originally in the movie,' she said. She added that it was important for her to give backstories to all characters, even those who die, to ensure that each death carries consequence.
Regarding the sexual violence, Gyllenhaal said she had been 'taken to task' in test screenings, with some women expressing discomfort. She acknowledged the difficulty of depicting such violence but argued that it reflects a major reality in contemporary culture. 'If we’re going to see it, we need to see it in a way that is very hard to watch, because it is very awful,' she stated.
Gyllenhaal, who also stars in the film alongside her brother Jake Gyllenhaal and husband Peter Sarsgaard, said she has long been preoccupied with gender-based violence, referencing her early role in Secretary. Early reviews have been mixed, with The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey giving the film three stars and describing it as 'not as feminist as it thinks it is.'
