We discuss Netflix’s brilliantly brutal mini-series, American Primeval, with Betty Gilpin, Taylor Kitsch, Dane DeHaan, Kim Coates, and more.
Netflix is riding into the new year with one of the most brutal depictions of expansion in the American West thanks to a relentlessly intense mini-series called American Primeval. Created and written by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, Overlord), with direction by Peter Berg (The Rundown, Very Bad Things), American Primeval revolves around Sara (Betty Gilpin) and her son, Devin (Preston Mota) traveling through harsh and unforgiving territory with a survivalist, Isaac (Taylor Kitsch), to escape a grim fate and find a new home. While making the journey, they experience violent collisions with cults, religious zealots, cutthroats, and lawmakers willing to kill to create a new world.
To mark the arrival of American Primeval, we spoke with the show’s director, Peter Berg, the Indigenous Consultant Julie O’Keefe, and lead actors Betty Gilpin (Sara), Taylor Kitsch (Isaac), Dane DeHaan (Jacob Pratt), Kim Coates (Bringham Young), Derek Hinkey (Red Feather), and Saura Lightfoot-Leon (Abish Pratt) about their respective roles, navigating the story’s harsh events, and creating one of the most brutally honest depictions of Western expansion ever put to film.
While speaking with Gilpin and Kitsch, we discover their motivations for joining the production, finding their respective characters, and navigating the show’s filthy locales. Meanwhile, Derek Hinkey and Saura Lightfoot-Leon discuss establishing their electric chemistry, the sense of responsibility of honoring family lineage, and training to become warriors. Dane DeHaan and Kim Coates speak on playing unhinged individuals, finding Caotes’ inner preacher, and portraying a psychotic break on screen. Lastly, Peter Berg and Julie O’Keefe discuss not glorifying Western expansion, when to step in and ensure the show’s authenticity, and Shawnee Pourier’s stellar performance as Two Moons.
American Primeval is an uncompromising approach to the brutality and cruelty of colonization. As we enter an era in American history when people in power actively try to rewrite the past, it’s important to remember what was taken and who it was taken from. American Primeval is a total package experience. Every episode covers a vast ground, telling a startling, eye-opening story with complex and enigmatic characters. Whether you’re captivated by Gilpin and Kitsch’s chemistry, sickened by the violence, or riding the downward spiral of DeHaan’s encroaching madness, the show grabs hold and never lets go until the end.
Make sure you check out our full, spoiler-free review of American Primeval.
