Fans ofAshley Juddmay not care for her latest character all that much, especially at the outset of the newthrillerby writer and director Alec Tibaldi, which is titledLazareth.It’s a dark and uncertain time, and in a world reeling from a devastating pandemic, Lee (Judd) will do anything to keep her two orphaned nieces, Imogen (Katie Douglas) and Maeve (Sarah Pidgeon) safe. However, as an actress, Judd isn’t concerned in the least about Lee’s likability. Judd said in an interview withComicBook.com:
Anybody who still says that all female characters have to be likable needs to be shamed and scorned.
Honestly, Judd’s opinion can be argued either way, depending on one’s own particular viewpoint. For example, in cinema, one of the most well-known and important female characters remains Meryl Streep’s own Miranda Priestly inThe Devil Wears Prada. Miranda is not a likable character throughout the course of the film. However, she is a person who resonates with cinephiles, particularly thanks to that ever so brief smile and look of pride on Miranda’s face after seeing Andy (Anne Hathaway) at the end of the movie.
Lee protects her orphaned nieces Imogen and Maeve from a self-destructing world, raising them in isolation until an outsider threatens their peaceful existence.
On the other side of the coin, take a more recent character like Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley). From the very beginning, audiences, particularlyStar Warsfans, are urged by the storytelling and circumstances to be on Rey’s side and find her likable. The young Force user rises out of poverty on Jakku, joins up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and eventually learns a few lessons about the Jedi from none other than Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) before defeating Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and taking on the Skywalker moniker.
However, when it comes to Judd’s portrayal of Lee inLazareth,it seems she leaned more intoThe Devil Wears Pradaway of approaching her character. Judd said in the same interview:
I gave a lot of different kinds of performance and what ended up in the edit is a kind of a severe stern arc, until I’m not. And I’m really comfortable with the way that turned out.
Ashley Judd Does the Best She Can Against a ‘Deadly Pandemic’
MovieWeb’s review ofLazarethcalls the film a “nuanced apocalypse” that “mostly works,” but it’s clear that writer/director Alec Tibaldi’s thriller isn’t resonating with most of the critics as reviews begin to trickle in. At the time of this writing,Lazarethonly registers 24% on the Tomatometer. However, it’s encouraging that the flick’s audience score boasts a much higher 67%. For those movie lovers who aren’t familiar withLazareth,check out the synopsis below:
“Following the death of their parents,Lee (Ashley Judd) adopts her nieces, Imogen (Douglas) and Maeve (Pidgeon),and raises them in a remote cabin as a deadly pandemic rages on around them.For over 10 years, the girls are raised to never leave the woods, avoid any and all interaction with outsiders,and ultimately rely on Lee as their only connection to the outside world.
Lee has convinced the girls this is the key to survival in what is now an infectious and violent world.But when Imogen and Maeve discover an injured man in the nearby woods,Lee’s absolute control begins to disintegrate as their faith in her,and everything they’ve ever known,begins to unravel.”
35 Best Thrillers of All Time
With more suspense than dramas but less intensity than horror, these are the 35 greatest thriller movies ever made.
Be sure to check outMovieWeb’s exclusive interview with Ashley Juddfor more of her insights on the shattered “gender utopia” right now. AndLazarethis available to rent ($6.99) or buy ($14.99) on the following VOD platforms: YouTube,Fandango at Home,Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
