Hold Your Breath: Annaleigh Ashford on dusting off important history in new thriller

The horror of a sinister presence brought on by a man-made disaster sets the story for ‘Hold Your Breath’, the latest chilling thriller from Karrie Crouse and William Joines. The film stars Sarah Paulson, Annaleigh Ashford, Amiah Miller and Ebon Moss-Bachrach and takes place in 1930s Oklahoma as the Dust Bowl is wreaking havoc on families, and mental states.

The story takes a look at consequences from actions through the eyes of those in the community, shining a light on the harsh realities of that time. That’s part of what drove actress Annaleigh Ashford to the film, but there was a lot more to be uncovered as the dust began to settle with ‘Hold Your Breath.’ To dive deeper into the story, Ashford sat down to chat more about the film, which premieres this week on Hulu.

What interested you in signing on with this film?

From the beginning, the script was beautifully crafted. Not only is it judicious and economical, but when you only have 90 minutes to tell a story, you have to be really smart and clear with your storytelling. I was also so struck by the outrageous act of a man-made climate disaster that the Dust Bowl was…I think it’s something that our generation needs to be educated about. It was just outrageously wild.

Only just 100 years ago, we had this unbelievable climate disaster and people don’t really know that that’s what it was. That really struck me as a story that needed to be told. And then at the heart of good horror is always a story of humanity and compassion, and I think that this film is not just a film that’s going to scare you, but it’s a film that’s going to make you think and it’s going to make your heart beat. That’s what makes a good movie.

I, for one, had no idea that the Dust Bowl was a man-made disaster.

So wild. And in the filming of this movie, we had to take some land and make the earth as barren as it would’ve been back then, so we had to strip any green. And the way that the land reacted to us was we had a mini dust storm while we were filming where the house was. I was not there for it, but I got a text from the crew and from the cast [saying] we’re having a real Dust Bowl. So that was incredibly touching and uncomfortable, and it reminded us that this was an important film to be made.

We also see dust storms recreated in the film and I have a few scenes in mind where your character is right in the thick of it. What was that like?

Recreating those dust storms was so wild. Again, you could feel the Earth answering back and being reminded of that time and space and place. We filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and it was a really appropriate place to film. You could feel a connection to the land, you could feel a connection to the people who lived there before. That was both inspiring and uncomfortable in a good way. But we had an incredible crew who took care of us, and also a crew who really knew the land, which was important.

What can you tell me about your character and what she goes through? I enjoyed watching the dynamics with Esther and Margaret (Sarah Paulson).

Well, it’s always an honor and a treat and a celebration to get to work with Sarah Paulson. I always say she’s one of the greatest actors of our generation, so getting to play tennis with her is a gift. My character is such an archetype of a woman who’s experienced trauma with a capital T from every direction. I think sometimes we fail to recognize that women in the generations that came before us experienced so much loss when it came to parenting, the way that they were treated as women, and the volume of daily work that was actually on their shoulders…we’re just unaware.  

This is a character that is crumbling underneath all of those societal pressures and trauma with a capital T. Then also the constant loss that people experienced in the generations before us, it’s just so heartbreaking to think about how common it was for people to lose a child in one of the biggest tragedies that a human could experience. So, I found her character to be somebody whose objective was to constantly please those around her and to survive at her base. It was a fascinating woman to explore and made me have gratitude for the women of the generations that have come before me. We’re lucky to live in the era that we live in.

I think horror films have a great way of showcasing metaphors about life. What will we see in that regard in ‘Hold Your Breath’?

There’s a great lesson to be learned from this era of history, and it’s to not only treat our land with love and respect, but it’s also a reminder that the land is living and it answers back. I think another sort of parallel to our time now is the experience that we all just had in COVID and how isolation and abandonment and being alone is actually really unhealthy for us as humans. We need one another. So there are a lot of parallels between today and yesterday. It reminds us to look back to learn.

Overall, what do you hope audiences take away from the film?

I hope that people walk away with a greater compassion for people who are struggling with their mental health. This movie really taps into the effects of trauma and the effects of mental health, especially for women. I hope it gives people more compassion, and then I also hope that it inspires people to respect the earth because she is a living, breathing organism… and she talks back to us.

‘Hold Your Breath’ will be available to stream on Hulu beginning Oct. 3.