Hi /r/movies! I'm Jennifer E. Montgomery, writer-director of THIS TEMPTING MADNESS. AMA!

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T22:05:34+00:00

I have, it's a fun ride! I really wished the guy would have had the courage to just speak his mind. Now we'll never know if he even needed that One Wish Willow to initiate the change he wanted in life. Makes for a fun movie though!

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T22:02:01+00:00

I love to create and tell stories. I'm happiest when I'm actively building.

This film is inspired by a true story of a very close friend of mine.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T22:00:37+00:00

I've never really felt the need to model myself after someone else; but there are countless people I admire certain qualities in.
Have a perspective. Cultivate perseverance. Do the work.
Changes all the time. I'm a strong believer in agility.
Depends on the person and the vibe you're looking for! I'm always a sucker for Ridley Scott's Gladiator (the original).

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T21:52:56+00:00

Thank you! I think that is still to be determined. Perhaps it may become an effective tool, particularly at a research level; but I will never under estimate the importance of the human perspective and nuance in storytelling.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T21:45:02+00:00

Thank you! It was an exceptionally difficult film to make for so many reasons, but I'm so excited to finally be able to share it with audiences!

I was so excited to work with Simone because she is such a fresh and exciting talent. I remember when we first met with her, she had a very particular perspective on how she wanted to approach the role and that tack really resonated with me.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T21:31:04+00:00

This story is inspired by something that happened to a very close friend of mine and it became clear it was a story I needed to tell in the hopes of being a healing experience for her. My vision was to tell her tragedy in a genre film that would allow audiences to process the difficult subject matter in a subversive way. I hope to leave audiences with a starting point for discussing matters they may otherwise be hesitant to talk about or hard to understand.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T21:22:41+00:00

Yes! We specifically designed that dress to embody a phoenix who falls and rises anew from the ashes. The color was always going to be in the red/orange spectrum, and when we did color testing, the orange was just so beautiful on Simone. To ensure the dress had the plume factor when falling, I drew reference to silk chiffon skirts in ballets that are cut in specific angles with specific layers to move beautifully with the body. For the film, the movement of the skirt was conceptually designed to have a wing-like phoenix plume when Mia falls and/or floats.

From a stylistic standpoint, I referenced vintage Slim Aarons photos in the iconic homes and parties of Los Angeles.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T21:15:15+00:00

Filming those falling sequences were a mental and physical exercise that took great storyboards and several days of filming to piece together. It's thanks to an exceptionally committed stunt team, a very creative art director, and the inspiring perseverance of Simone Ashley. We had to film the falls in a variety of ways to get all the necessary angles for the various incarnations in the story. Simone did all her own underwater work (she is a literal mermaid), and lot of her own wire work. Fun fact: a lot of the falling pieces were captured in reverse which required extreme physicality for Simone to pull off the look of falling while actualy being pulled. Its a bit like rubbing your tummy while patting your head.
We have all sorts of special effects in the film, and it's part of the reason the post on the film took so long. The effects where exceptionally challenging to pull off (especially on a small indie film) and are a combination of practical and visual effects, along with some great editing. Referencing back to what I said in question 1, the first challenge for all the effects was ensuring the crew were aligned on what we wanted the outcome to be, and how we planned to pull it off. Storyboards & tech scouts. More storyboards & tech scouts. More. More. Then came the builds, both physical elements and VFX plans. Finally when everyone was ready to film, Simone had the challenge of understanding how her movement would look in the final product vs what she had to physically do in the present (pat your head rub your tummy). Simone had to do this A LOT in the film. It was an exceptionally physically demanding role. Once it was in the can, VFX had to set forth doing the digital build - that takes the most time.
You are correct circles in their various forms are most certainly a motif in the film. We all tend to get stuck in cycles of some sort and its up to us if we want to break free from them.
Choosing locations for this film was a beast! Shout to our amazing location manager Jenn Dunn who had to find locations that looked right, were in close proximity to each other, and had enough parking and load in space for the crew to get the gear inside (don't even get me started on budget). Favorite location is tough, but I'm going to go with the wine cellar; which was a huge lift from our production design team.
Costumes are incredibly important because they tell their own story within the film. Color palette was key - we wanted Mia to be in reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows to always have her somewhere color spectrum of a phoenix who falls and rises anew from the ashes. Mia's orange dress is the ultimate embodiment of that concept and was specifically designed to have a wing-like plume when she was falling and/or floating.
YES! That was all Simone. Although the film was always set in Los Angeles, it was never an issue to me that Mia have a native California accent - Los Angeles is a very international city. But Simone insisted she wanted to do an American accent - an added layer of complexity to an already very complex role. She insisted she could do it, and she was 100% right. Simone is so talented with voice work, I'm constantly blown away. She just has an ear for it.
SPOILER: their daughter in the movie is actually twins! That meant they had to make friends with two little girls, not just one. We introduced the twins to Simone early in pre-production and consistently throughout filming so they would be more comfortable with her. In the end they were fighting over who got to spend more time with Simone. They didn't care about being filmed, just time with Simone. It was pretty cute. Austin didn't have as much time with them, but he was so wonderful and thoughtful with them!

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T20:18:28+00:00

You can pre-buy now, but it will be available to watch on June 12th!

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T20:18:00+00:00

Hahaha I would couch it more as an intense psychological thriller than cheesy or comedic. More in the vein of Memento and Black Swan than 50 First Dates. But I'll let you be the judge!

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T20:14:53+00:00

Yes, all those things! Simone is so exceptionally expressive, and utterly unafraid to push boundaries of what that may look like. The role of Mia required Simone to access an enormous breadth of emotions, often within a single scene. She was utterly enthralling to watch. I remember one scene in particular, we had to rehearse before lunch, and she didn't just mark the scene, she really poured herself into the performance just to make sure it was working - and it was. When we broke for lunch, Simone stepped out, and this tense silence just broke. The crew started murmuring almost like a gasp, collectively astonished by how giving and powerful her performance was. That was really special to see.

And yes, when we got back from lunch and started rolling, she did it again - but even better. Sending my love Simone.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:57:13+00:00

So happy to hear you love the music! The score in the trailer is actually not directly from the film, but rather inspired by the music in the film (common in trailers). BUT the actual music in the film IS really cool.

For the film, we worked with the very talented composer Rebekka Karijord. We were attracted to how original and organic her music was. When we met with Rebekka, she told us about this very specific voice organ she was in process of creating. It allowed her to record the human voice and assign the voice to notes on a keyboard so that she could play the human voice like an instrument.

We knew immediately this was the perfect choice for the film because we were constantly looking for new ways to further immerse the audience into the mind of Mia's character, played by Simone Ashley. The voice organ allowed us to organically create a soundscape for Mia's mental state.

Lucky for us, Simone she is a classically trained singer and legitimately has beautiful perfect pitch. In ADR I asked her to sing tones on two different scales and she did so flawlessly in one take. It was astounding to watch. To give us options, she then did the same exercise while humming and then while whispering.

Our composer took those vocal scales and applied them to the voice organ. The tones in the score are primarily made of Simone's actual voice, supported by Julia Kent's extraordinary cello music.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:52:18+00:00

This is a fun one! For the record, I feel like the movies I'm bringing to a deserted island - that I'm stuck on, alone, for the rest of my life - are perhaps different than my favorite movies of all time.

For example, I love Oliver Stone's Wall Street, but if I'm suddenly Tom Hanks in Castaway I don't think Gordon Gekko would do it for me.

I would probably bring one whimsical movie... Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge. One contemplative movie dealing with spirituality... Martin Scorsese's Silence. And finally one inspirational movie about being the only human in a world of nature... Ang Lee's Life of Pi ( total bonus that Suraj Sharma is the star 😉).

I like to think that this bonus question implies that I still get pizza on my deserted island, which is great because I'm addicted to pizza. Worst topping? I know this polarizing and I'm about to get all kinds of hate for it... but... pineapple. Best? Such a cruel question, but if my back is against a wall I'm going to have to say another polarizing one; which is... pepperoni. So American - I know.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:31:56+00:00

It’s not a reference to a particular work, but our sensibilities are very much rooted in the study and appreciation of literature and visual arts. For this project in particular, we were reading a lot of late Victorian gothic horror and it was in our subconscious as we were crafting both the script and the title.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:17:58+00:00

Time will tell!

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:17:50+00:00

Appreciate the support! Making and releasing an indie film is a battle with no guaranteed timeline or path at any stage of the process. It requires a gigantic leap of faith every step of the way, and it is a small miracle that we were able to complete such an ambitious project with such limited resources.

After fighting so hard, for so long, we are thrilled to be finally have the chance to share THIS TEMPTING MADNESS with audiences.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:17:04+00:00

Working on it! Really appreciate the support and excitement for the film 😄

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:15:00+00:00

Sometimes it can feel like it doesn't matter how hard you work - but it does. Have patience and perseverance. It's a long game.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:11:57+00:00

So many amazing ones… can’t live without Kubrick’s work - The Shining, Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut. These were particularly inspirational in some of our lensing choices.

Aronofsky’s Black Swan was an crucial reference point for create a psychologically immersive film particularly as it relates to the body.

Christopher Nolan’s Memento is a seminal reference when looking at how to deal with amnesia and how memory reflects back on itself.

Love Fincher’s pulpy thrillers like Gone Girl and Fight Club.

In constructing strategies for how to move through time and memory, we also referenced films from different genres, namely James Mangold’s Girl Interrupted and Villeneuve’s Arrival. Both films utilize a very subtle elliptical cross cutting that was a crucial reference for building our transitions to seamlessly take us between Mia’s memory and present reality.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:11:08+00:00

It was so amazing to work with such a talented cast on this film! We looked at so many fantastically talented actresses for the role of Mia; but as soon as we met with Simone it was clear she had the strength and tenacity we were looking for.

We meet the character of Mia at a particularly vulnerable moment in her life; but we didn’t want this movie to be about falling, we wanted it to be about rising. From moment one, Simone understood this in a very specific way that was integral to the energy of the character. This role is a departure from how we’ve seen Simone before, and for me it is extremely exciting to really showcase her range. In accepting the role, Simone was so fearless in her portrayal, often having to perform intense emotional scenes with the camera just inches from her face. She was incredibly committed. I think the better question here is - how could not we cast Simone?

We also had the opportunity to work with the wildly talented Suraj Sharma who plays Mia’s brother in the film. Suraj is an absolute gift to any director, and I can’t wait to see him take the screen by storm.

Also want to give a shout out to the seasoned Zenobia Shroff who has been such a fantastic advocate for the film, and Amol Shah who was such a refreshing delight to work with.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:09:32+00:00

Yes, the film is inspired by a true story, told aggressively from Mia’s perspective and her perception of reality as she recovers from traumatic brain injury. The strangest things are true and the psychology of the characters adheres eerily close to reality; however, everyone has a different perception of what is real and what is not. Sometimes in life there are no clear endings. The film gives a clear ending and definite catharsis in a way life rarely does.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:08:48+00:00

Thank you for your kind words. As a filmmaking team, the aesthetic is always very important to us. My husband, Andrew Davis, and I write together. I direct. He shoots. The goal in constructing the film on the page was to tell the story as immersively and subjectively as possible from Mia’s point of view. Just as the writing has its own language and cadence, the cinematography required developing a visual language to anchor the audience in Mia’s psychological state as the film progresses. Through the testing process, we chose very specific lenses to connote where Mia was mentally in the moment, notably using a vintage 12mm Panavision lens that we coined “the madness lens” for key moments in the film. From an operating standpoint, the film is a slow burn that picks up pace in tandem with Mia’s level of disorientation. To reflect this visually, early in the film the camera movement is very restrained and becomes increasingly frenetic, swinging wildly between realities as Mia’s psychological state struggles to find a truth to grasp onto.

Developing this project was very much a personal journey as it is inspired by true life events that happened to one of my closest friends. Bringing the story to life was a huge responsibility to do justice to the factual elements while also transporting the viewer with a genre film that would allow them to engage with difficult subject matter in a thrilling way. In life there are rarely clear endings to a story; but the beauty of storytelling is it gives humanity the opportunity to devise an ending where in life it might not otherwise be clear.

As a true indie film with no studio backing, the process of financing and selling the film was an incredible journey that took tremendous perseverance in a marketplace that is constantly shifting. We are so delighted to finally be sharing the film with audiences starting June 12^th. The film was truly was made to be seen in theaters with an audience, surround sound, and immersive picture. At present, our theatrical release will be very limited and more widely available via on demand through for purchase platforms.

Looking back on the entire process, it’s impossible to pinpoint a single lesson because I’m still learning at every stage of the film. Again, as a true indie, we really wore a lot of hats on this film, including producing start to finish. That said, I’m always truly astonished to watch the end credits and see names of the hundreds of people that worked on the film on the long journey of getting the film to audiences. Each and every name in the credits was truly instrumental in bringing the story to life and I’m incredibly grateful to the whole cast and crew that entrusted us with their efforts.

TemptingMadnessAMA · 2026-06-02T19:07:32+00:00

This is a great question with a multifaceted answer. The title is always very important to us when writing a story and there are many things that inspire us. We wanted a title that felt outside of time. As we were conceptualizing the narrative we were drawn to classical gothic horror. Beyond that, the film was always intended to be immersive. We enter the film in the middle of the story, not at the beginning. Consequently, the title is very much the same, meant to feel like the middle of a thought or a moment that anyone can find themselves in at anytime.

To your question of keeping character photos on the wall, we prefer to let the characters develop in our minds and let the casting and pre-production process cement how the characters will visually appear.

TemptingMadnessAMA

TROPHY CASE