John Cabot University student, Rosemary Ace Rosas, appears in Hollywood’s newest queer horror film, coming soon to Zalib – Circolo Arci on October 20.

Feature

By Carolina Littleton | Edited by Amanda Contessa

‘Tis the season of horror movies, as Rainbow Swan and Umbrella Pictures productions are presenting one of Hollywood’s newest queer, psychological horror film, Hauntology, showcasing John Cabot University’s very own student, Rosemary Ace Rosas.  

In this queer horror anthology, directed by Parker Brennon, two siblings share the retellings of ghost stories as they embark on a road trip. As they delve deeper into the spiritual world, it becomes evident that every story seems to be connected to a dark spirit – the root of all evil. The siblings take it upon themselves to banish the dark spirit that has haunted  their family for generations.  

“Do the siblings banish the evil for good?”, “What happens on the road trip?”, “Are they able to save themselves and their family?” 

These are all questions I wanted to ask Rosemary when I was given the honor to interview her about her experience acting in this film, but all questions will  be answered on October 20, 2024, at the screening of Hauntology at Zalib Circolo Arci.

As intriguing as the plot is, I found Rosemary’s story of balancing being an ordinary student at JCU to a Hollywood actor just as, if not more, infatuating.  

Rosas started acting at 15-years-old when some friends needed extras for a zombie film. She held onto this passion throughout high school, saving up money she earned working in fast food lines, with that money  going toward short films her and friends would produce, film, and edit every summer. Eventually, these passion projects were turned into a demo reel that caught the attention of teacher and actor Law Tarello.

His interest in Rosas’s acting style led to her admittance to The Second City Training Center in Chicago, Illinois, where both Steve Carrell and Tina Fey attended. Not long after, she  received her first official role in a film at 19-years-old.  

Rosas’s first union film, Most Guys Are Losers (2020), was a romantic comedy that took place in Chicago, so there was bound to be many differences in the contrasting experiences she had on both sets. In Hauntology, Rosemary plays the role of the pre-transitioned version of Julian Cashel who is later played by well-known, trans actor Zoey Luna who is known for her work in The Craft: Legacy (2020) and Dear Evan Hansen (2021).

Zoey was given the power to cast the actor to play her pre-transitioned self, and she chose Rosas because she “was the better actor even though [she] looked less like her.” The two actors became  close during production, as they were portraying the same character. Rosas recounted the moments she and Zoey would spend together trying to match each other’s mannerisms, with Zoey going as far to dye her eyebrows darker.

The relationship between Rosas and Luna blossomed throughout production, as Rosas was able to relate to another trans actor that inspired her to be more confident and comfortable in her role. Not only was Rosas able to be inspired by her, but she was also able to give a authentic performance because she could relate to the character on a more personal level. 

“Being able to be in a film as a pre transitional woman while actually being in that weird pre transitional phase was actually very easy to method act and go through. More properly, the emotions were actually real.” 

Rosas on playing Julian Cashel

Although Rosas and Luna connected quickly, it was not the only bond formed on set. “The cast and crew was so small so [they] all got to be very close”  said Rosas. All actors were flown out to the shooting location in Hocking Hill, Ohio and given little cottages in the middle-of-nowhere-Ohio to stay during production. Many nights after they wrapped up, the cast and crew would find themselves stumbling up to Rosas’s “honeysuckle cottage” to laugh, share stories, and spend time together after a long day of filming.  

Forming close relationships and growing comfortable with the cast and crew was crucial for the success of a film like Hauntology, because although it presents as a thriller, it is more so, according to Rosas, as an “absolutely queer horror film.” Rosas’s character makes an appearance in one part of five entitled, “The Witch Becomes Her,” that she deems a trans allegory. Zoey Luna, being a trans figure herself, brought a lot of inspiration and advocacy to the queer aspects associated with the film.  

“Horror, in it’s essence, very much translates the queer experience […] the things that make horror horrific are just so much more emblematic and more intense in queer stories.” 

Rosas on Hauntology being a queer horror 

Hauntology has a commitment to producing an “un-fearfully queer” film, providing representation for the LGBTQIA+ community in areas they never imagined could be recognized in. For example, after her participation in this film, Rosas noticed that one of her favorite virtual magazines she read as a child, Fangoria, had written an article on the film.

Rosas is currently in the process of working on a few other upcoming productions, but first, be sure to watch Hauntology on October 20 at Zalib – Circolo Arci. If you cannot make that screening, the film will be accessible with video-on-demand, through Amazon or Apple TV. What better time to watch this film during horror season?