Explore the emotional core of REDUX REDUX with directors Kevin and Matthew McManus and stars Michaela McManus and Stella Marcus as they discuss grief and revenge.
The sci-fi thriller REDUX REDUX offers a visceral, intimate take on the multiverse genre, trading sprawling cosmic stakes for the raw, personal agony of a parent’s loss. The story follows Irene (Michaela McManus), a mother caught in a grueling cycle of traversing near-identical universes to hunt down the man who took her daughter.
Described by its creators as a “morality tale about the perils of revenge,” the film explores the dark obsession of trying to reverse fate and the heartbreaking realization that some things, once lost, can never truly be recovered.
Mama’s Geeky recently sat down with the minds behind the madness – directors Kevin and Matthew McManus – and the film’s powerhouse leads, Michaela McManus and Stella Marcus. We spoke about the inspiration for their multiverse machine, the kill room that became the set’s favorite playground, and the emotional toll of filming a story that pushes maternal instinct to its absolute limit.
WARNING: REDUX REDUX SPOILERS AHEAD!
For writers and directors Kevin and Matthew, the film was born from a desire to make the infinite feel small and suffocating. While early time-travel films focused on fantasy, they wanted REDUX REDUX to feel like the high-stakes personal dramas that inspired them, such as The Terminator. This meant focusing on the repetitive, frustrating nature of Irene’s mission.
“We realized what if she found her daughter and couldn’t be with her – that heartbreaking moment just felt like, oh, this is going to make it a movie that’s really worth telling,” Kevin noted regarding the film’s emotional pivot. He then added that the darker elements of the script came from a visceral place: “You always write about what scares you. As a dad of two kids, that’s the greatest fear”.
The practical side of the production was equally intense, particularly the “kill room” where the antagonist, Neville (Jeremy Holm), met his end repeatedly. The directors leaned heavily into practical effects to create unforgettable set pieces.
The multiverse machine itself was intentionally designed to look used and bulky rather than “chromed out,” inspired by the junkier aesthetic of Star Wars and the DeLorean. “In the script, it was described as a coffin meets a refrigerator,” the directors explained, noting they even built a balsa wood model to guide the art team.
Michaela McManus, who plays the grieving Irene, found the character’s “mama bear” instincts easy to tap into as a mother of three. However, the role required a grueling level of emotional consistency that she found exhausting.
Reflecting on the character’s relentless drive, she said, “I think the stakes are so high when your kid is in danger or in peril, you just go into that mom mode”. Despite the darkness, she cherished the moments of connection on screen, particularly with her co-star: “The lightest scene for my character was when I was teaching Stella how to shoot a gun. The stakes feel a little more chill”.
Stella Marcus, who portrays Mia, had the unique challenge of playing a character who serves as both a victim and a source of levity. She also had to deal with the surreal experience of seeing her own dead body prop, which she described as “f*cking amazing”. She admits that watching the movie with her own mother was difficult, as her mom, understandably, couldn’t stomach the image.
Stella focused on Mia’s resilience and her role as a surrogate daughter to Irene. “She is a teenager, but she is in some ways a fully formed person. She’s going to make light of the most horrific things because that’s the way she can cope with it,” Stella observed.
Regarding the film’s ultimate takeaway, she noted the character’s growth: “Mia says at the end, ‘I don’t want to do that again.’ Sometimes revenge is fun, [but] it’s not worth your energy”.
For more REDUX REDUX behind-the-scenes stories and details, watch the full video interview.
About REDUX REDUX
In an attempt to avenge her daughter’s death, Irene Kelly travels through parallel universes, killing her daughter’s murderer over and over again. She grows addicted to the revenge streak, putting her own humanity in jeopardy.
REDUX REDUX comes to theaters on February 20th.
