INDIANAPOLIS — A suspected serial killer is on the loose in Paramount Pictures' "Depravity."
The 112-minute crime mystery thriller follows three residents (Victoria Justice, Taylor John Smith and Devon Ross) at an apartment complex who suspect their reclusive neighbor (Dermot Mulroney) is the culprit.
"I was handed the character by the filmmaker, Paul Tamasy. He said to me, 'You'd be open to cutting your hair, right?' and I said, 'Yes,'" said Mulroney ("My Best Friend's Wedding," "Shameless"). "I began to really dial in on what he wanted in that look. Especially without hair, the way light is going to play on a person is different, too, so I'm looking really different than I usually look."
Mulroney compared the aesthetic of "Depravity" to 1970s thrillers, such as filmmaker Brian De Palma's work on "Carrie," "Dressed to Kill" and "Scarface."
"This one really hits you right in the sweet tooth for tight, dark, killer thrillers," Mulroney said.
Among Mulroney's recent roles are also trips into the thriller/horror genre with "Scream VI," "Insidious: Chapter 3" and "The Purge."
"This one, the assignment was really clear to be a foreboding character — to be someone that you would look at twice and think, 'What is his problem?'" Mulroney said. "What's incredible about this movie is it carries with it an admonition, rather than a message, but it says, just be sure before you judge on somebody – Mr. Evers clearly has an extreme lifestyle – it doesn't mean anyone is getting hurt."
For Justice, Smith and Ross, working alongside someone like Mulroney – who has acted in more than 150 films and TV shows – is a great opportunity to watch their process and get career advice.
"With Victoria, I really just said, 'You've gotta go for it. Get out there. Do roles like this' because she's such a great actor. And now I heard her music, she has so much to offer," Mulroney said. "With Taylor and Devon, they don't need any advice from me. They've just got it going on. Victoria, I just felt like she's a step ahead because of her experience."
"Depravity" is now available to buy or rent on all digital platforms.