Eight years after working together on the biopic “Snowden,” Shailene Woodley and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are reuniting in Prime Video’s new film “Killer Heat.” For Woodley, the film noir, which premieres on streaming services on September 26, is the kind of movie she wants to see right now.
“I think the world is really responding to joy right now, or fun and adventure,” Woodley told Yahoo Entertainment.
In an election year, those words seem truer than ever: Amid a fierce online debate over whether celebrity endorsements matter, the co-stars agree they have an “obligation” to use their platforms.
“I completely agree with the argument that, ‘Just because you happen to be famous for this thing doesn’t mean we should listen to your political views,’ and that makes perfect sense,” Gordon-Levitt says.
“At the same time, I believe that in a democracy, everyone can and should express their opinion. We shouldn’t listen to someone just because they’re a celebrity, but if someone who happens to be in a film makes a point that resonates with you on its merits, that’s great,” he continued. “I think there’s an opportunity, and I feel an obligation as someone who has this platform to make a point that’s meaningful to me, and then the people listening can decide whether it resonates with them or not.”
Woodley said she “agrees with everything” her co-star says.
“The main point I want to make is that people should not listen because we are in a film, but because we are caring human beings just like any other human being in this country and this world,” she explains.
“I don’t think that if we have a platform, we need to use it in an exploitative way,” Woodley continues, “It just happens in life. And with that, I think there’s a responsibility to share your honest opinions without pressure or criticism. That’s what I want.”
Shailene Woodley and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in “Killer Heat.” (Patrick Redmond/Prime Video ©Amazon Content Services LLC)
In Killer Heat, Woodley’s character hires a private investigator (Gordon-Levitt) to investigate the supposed accidental death of her wealthy brother-in-law. It’s the latest in a string of projects (The Perfect Couple, Blink Is Forever) that focus on wealthy families, secrets and the lengths people will go to to maintain power and dominance. Woodley thinks it’s a subject that people especially want to watch now: “It’s just fun.”
“I want to watch things that don’t make me feel really sad or depressed after watching them. At the moment I just enjoy movies that are great entertainment, have a thrill and leave me with a few psychological questions,” she says.
Gordon-Levitt added: “There’s something fun about an old-fashioned detective movie. There’s a reason we’ve been telling these kinds of stories since we started making movies.”
Killer Heat will be available on Prime Video on Thursday, September 26th.
