Malcolm D Lee On ‘Strung’: Turns Out THAT Scene Wasn’t All VFX!

Fourth Take discussed Peacock’s latest movie, Strung, from veteran comedy director Malcolm D Lee. In the junket, Lee spoke about his reaction to the script, the double (or quadruple) entendre behind the title, and went into detail about THAT scene.

Full spoilers ahead for Strung, now streaming on Peacock.

If I had a nickel for every time a movie starring a recent horror movie star about a musically gifted prodigy turned into a thriller, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot and… you get the rest.

Strung, the newest movie from prolific filmmaker Malcolm D Lee, did remind me (at least superficially) of 2018’s The Perfection.

The two share no similarities outside of a few superficial parallels because, where The Perfection doesn’t necessarily rely on a specific style or convention from director/producer Richard Shepard, Lee approached Strung differently.

“When I read [Alan B. McElroy’s] script, I was just immediately intrigued,” Lee says. “You don’t always get scripts that are page-turners and that surprise you and make you say, ‘Holy sh—,’ as you’re reading it.”

Announced at the second annual BlumFest in 2021 as Help, Strung stars Chloe Bailey as Laila, a college student who is sucked into an intergenerational plot that goes back over a decade, twisting herself in the weeds with some characters that have their own agendas.

If that sounds like something straight out of a Tyler Perry movie, that’s because it is. Perry’s Peachtree & Vine partnered up with Blumhouse, making both Perry and Jason Blum producers of Strung. “I love thrillers, I love psychological dramas, so I said, ‘Let me take my hand at this,'” Lee said.

The following interview has been condensed for clarity and prose.

Malcolm D Lee On the Title of Strung

The title Strung speaks to the musical aspect of the movie with Laila being hired as the tutor and nanny for Zuri. Could you talk about the deeper meaning behind the title?

“It’s interesting. My editor, Paul, who I’ve been a long-time collaborator with, he threw it out, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s an interesting title.’ Because it’s also, yes, obviously the strung of the strings, but it’s also strung along. It could be strung out, which I think happens a little bit in this movie as well. It has a great double entendre.”

Or triple or quadruple.

“Yeah, all of the above. So what does that exactly mean? It’s not just generic, it’s got a great title, I think.”

Was the Allergy Scene in Strung VFX or Practical?

There were a lot of very tense scenes in the movie. One of the most tense was the allergic reaction scene. Could you talk about the process of that scene?

“It’s one of those scenes I was like, ‘Ugh, is this gonna work?’ Because it could be looked at as comical if you’re not really careful about it. I just wanted to make sure that we were handling that moment very carefully, striking the right tone and the right balance.”

It didn’t come across as a comedic scene at all. It was very realistic. And the way her face changed so immediately — was that makeup or VFX?

“It’s a combination: a combination of VFX and makeup. With Laila’s backstory undergirding that moment, I think it certainly helped to make it feel urgent and scary.”

Directing Chloe Bailey and Romy Woods in Strung

Is there a difference between striking the balance of tension and fear from an adult actor versus a younger costar?

“There’s always challenges with younger actors, but Romy’s fantastic. Chloe’s fantastic. They had a great bond, not just on screen but off screen as well. I remember when we were auditioning actors for that role, Chloe would sit with some of them, and she was like, ‘Oh my God, I love her.’ It was really perfect. Romy uses her ears, and that’s what I told her: ‘The most important thing you can be as an actor is to use your ears, hear what’s being said, and then listen to your costar.'”

Strung is now streaming on Peacock. Check out the trailer below.