When Callie Schuttera initially auditioned for Zach Cregger’s enigmatic “untitled project,” she had no idea it would evolve into Weapons — one of the year’s most spine-chilling and praised horror films. What started as a modest audition turned into a role that has both critics buzzing and audiences on edge.
“I approached it as I believe it should happen, though it rarely does — through an audition,” she shares in a Zoom interview with City Times.
While the film’s renowned co-stars directly met with Cregger, Schuttera’s journey was more humble — an audition tape, a Zoom callback, and eventually, a trip to Atlanta. “I admired Zach’s Barbarian. From sending that audition tape… to a callback… and then flying out weeks later.”
Upon landing the role, disbelief was her first reaction. “I was honestly dumbfounded. I walked around thinking, what just happened?” she recalls. The thrill was tinged with a bittersweet truth: it meant months away from her family, the longest she’d been apart. “That was tough. But,” she concedes, “it was worth it.”
Becoming Mrs. Lilly
What makes Schuttera’s portrayal of Mrs. Lilly so unsettling is her ability to convey dread with minimal dialogue. Her performance feels suffocatingly trapped. “I wanted to remain Mrs. Lilly, yet feel trapped deep inside,” she explains. “Not entirely vacant, but something inside still yearning to escape, perhaps in vain.”
Schuttera drew from her own maternal experiences to convey this tension. “Parents can feel overwhelmed, thinking, I need to block this all out. What if a parent achieved that… but was stuck forever? Free of duties, yet missing their child. That was the haunting aspect.”
Callie Schuttera with Cary Christopher and Whitmer Thomas
Director Zach Cregger encouraged her to delve deeper. “He liked that she wasn’t necessarily a great mom,” she says. This insight reshaped her approach. “Horror layered over something already eerie is scarier. A neglected child, compounded by trauma — that’s terrifying.”
The psychology of fear
For Schuttera, Weapons succeeds because it avoids gore. “Creating something eerie and haunting is more challenging,” she notes. “Every house feels familiar, which is unsettling in a good way.”
Even on set, the eeriness was palpable. The Lilly family home, largely a soundstage, still unnerved her. “It wasn’t overtly scary, but the atmosphere was creepy. The house exterior added to the creepiness. Inside, it was light and joyful — until filming began.”
Not all scenes were joyful. The notorious fork scene was as disturbing to film as it is to watch. “We rehearsed it, experimenting with different forks — styrofoam, real, CGI. Watching it is equally disturbing.”
Callie Schuttera during the chase scene in ‘Weapons’
Yet, the fork wasn’t the toughest part. That honor goes to the chase scenes. “It was the only time my (on-screen) husband and I were truly malevolent. No mom left, just the darkest emotions imaginable — wanting to harm this young man.”
On co-stars, creeps, and childhood dreams
Despite the dark themes, the set was warm. Schuttera lights up talking about Cary Christopher, who plays her son. “He’s a wonderful person, not just a kid. Working with him was a joy. Everyone, even the big stars, were lovely. Amy Madigan is kind and open, and Josh Brolin is incredibly down-to-earth.”
Viewing the final cut was surreal. “It’s thrilling. Actors hope for roles with range. I love that this character offers so much variety. As a child, you dream of wearing weird makeup and doing something like this.”
The gruesome isn’t limited to the screen for Schuttera. She recounts a paranormal experience during meditation: “I felt presences nearby. I wondered if I was insane or if there was truly another entity. Then I felt my back being pushed. I freaked. There was no denying it.”
What’s next?
If Weapons marked her horror debut, it won’t be her last. “I’m starting production on another horror thriller soon, which I’m also producing and co-writing. It’s set in a beautiful Malibu location, about Americans trying to escape the country. The horror bug has bitten me. Weapons wasn’t enough.”
Callie Schuttera in a scene from ‘Weapons’
However, she’s not sticking to one genre. “I’m intrigued by magical realism. Fantastical elements in our world. Horror fits well with that. You could argue Weapons is a form of it.”
Her favorite scene isn’t her own — it’s Amy Madigan’s. “When she threatens Alex, saying she could make his parents eat each other. It was chilling. She says it convincingly, like she’s done it before.”
Chilling words, delivered with chilling precision. For Callie Schuttera, they’re a reminder of why she’s eager to continue exploring the dark, mysterious realms of storytelling.
