“Just a little bit nasty,” laughed director Akiva Goldsman, before Stephanie premiered to a packed house at the inaugural Overlook Film Festival. The newest addition to Blumhouse’s stable, Stephanie stars a show-stealing Shree Crooks in the title role as a precocious orphan. Heartwarming at times–and nasty indeed–the film straddles horror, science fiction, and drama to weave an apocalyptic tale of a lonely child’s struggle against the unknown. Academy Award Winner Goldsman has made the most of the opportunity provided by Blumhouse’s “playground” for filmmakers to create a picture that will play with the mass-market crowd, while maintaining an independent aesthetic.
