This Horror Movie Left Jenna Ortega Speechless and Stunned

Jenna Ortega truly leaned into her fascination with the macabre in 2022, a year that saw her dominate the genre through several high-profile projects. Most notably, she helped revitalize the Scream franchise and paid tribute to the gritty style of 1970s slashers in Ti West’s X.

However, her most transformative work that year was assuming the mantle of the legendary Addams Family daughter in Tim Burton’s breakout Netflix series, Wednesday. As the show prepares for its third season, it is clear that Ortega has formed a lasting creative bond with Burton, often drawing comparisons to his frequent collaborator Winona Ryder.

Their connection was further cemented when she portrayed Ryder’s daughter in the long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. This deep immersion in gothic aesthetics and dark narratives has significantly shaped her personal style outside of her professional life.

The actress has admitted that living within such a somber world for extended periods has altered her own sensibilities, particularly her wardrobe. She shared with InStyle that the character has had a lingering effect on her, noting, “I do think that Wednesday changed my taste a lot, I have a hard time getting her off of me, at least clothing-wise.”

This influence appears to go beyond her closet, as she frequently discusses her profound admiration for the horror genre in various interviews. Ortega often lists classics like Prom Night and modern atmospheric hits like The Witch as personal favorites, yet one specific film stands out to her as a singular masterpiece.

She has spoken passionately about Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession, a 1981 film that uses a disintegrating marriage as a springboard into visceral and psychological terror. The movie features Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani in a story that escalates into shocking violence and surreal, monstrous encounters.

The actress first encountered the film after a suggestion from a colleague on the set of Scream, and it left an indelible mark on her artistic perspective. She described the film’s unique impact to Rotten Tomatoes, stating, “I really love Possession.

It was actually a recommendation from Mikey Madison on the Scream set. Not only is it hauntingly beautiful, but also unlike anything I’d ever seen before.” For Ortega, the value of a film lies in its ability to provoke a physical and creative reaction within the viewer.

She values stories that push boundaries and leave her with a sense of excitement and new perspectives. She further explained her philosophy on cinema, adding, “I love watching a film and getting some kind of adrenaline out of it – that’s when I feel it’s done its job, when a film inspires you and gives you a bunch of ideas.”

The intensity that Ortega admires in Possession was famously mirrored in its production, with Adjani reportedly finding the experience so grueling that she struggled with her mental health afterward.

The performance is widely considered one of the most powerful in horror history, featuring a legendary scene in a subway station that pushed the actress to her absolute limits. It is this level of raw, unfiltered commitment to a role that continues to inspire Ortega in her own evolving career.

Recently, Ortega has been diversifying her portfolio with upcoming sci-fi and drama projects, including Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun, where she plays an artificial friend. With the upcoming film and the new season of wednesday She remains one of the busiest and most versatile young stars in Hollywood.

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