Netflix’s “Lou” follows an account of the title character who is content to live in a secluded area. She’s miles from her home, and the two people within her close proximity are a woman, Hannah, and her child, Vee. Amid a violent hurricane, Vee has been kidnapped, sending Lou and Hannah on a dark and grueling journey that requires them to face their experiences from the past. Anna Foerster directs the film.
The film uses the remote island setting and creates more challenges for the characters with harsh weather. It’s a dark and edgy film that makes one consider their resilience in similar situations. If you’re wondering if you’ve been through similar situations in real life, this is what you need to know about Lou.
Is Lou a True Story?
“Lou” is far from being based on actual facts. The film is based on an original story written by Maggie Cohn and adapted into the screenplay created by Cohn and Jack Stanley. Although the events depicted in the film are fiction, there are signs from events in the past that serve as a source of inspiration for the plot. Allison Janney’s Lou is portrayed as an ex-CIA agent who is portrayed to have committed some shady things during her stint working in the field. It also mentions the events of 1953 about the Iran coup, later identified as the center of the war in the film.
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Oscar Award-winning Janney has played a variety of characters throughout her long career. However, this is her first time taking on an action-packed character. The “I, Tonya’ actress said she may have created the role for herself. When James Corden was on his talk show, she was asked about what she would like to play in her next movie. “I told them I wanted to be an action hero. I did a high-kick or something. Then this movie was sent to me by J.J. Abrams, and I was stunned to discover that I was getting the film, Lou,” Janney explained. To prepare for her part in the film, in which she did some of her stunts on her own and was able to complete an intense training program with the choreographer for fight scenes, Daniel Bernhardt, who is well-known for having trained stars like Charlize Theron and Halle Berry.
As Janney’s Lou is running away from the past that she has experienced, Jurnee Smollett’s Hannah is as well fleeing from a terrible incident that occurred to her before the events in the film. The stark contrast between the lives of both women creates an interesting narrative. In the lead-up to playing Hannah, who is shown to have been a victim of domestic abuse, Smollett did a lot of research. “I spent much of my time in Los Angeles at a domestic violence shelter called Jenesse Center. One thing I discovered was that the women there are survivors. They’re survivors, not victims. That’s probably one of the aspects we wanted to focus on for Hannah and her family. Hannah is trying to be able to survive,” she said.
In addition to bringing their characters to life on screen, The actresses were also involved on the production side in the role of executive producers. They worked with Director Anna Foerster to add more depth to their characters. Such as removing some of the dialogue from Lou. “I thought that I believe there’s more to it with Lou. I don’t think she ought to be saying anything in this situation. I enjoyed cutting away the excess weight and everything that could be too long. I believe it’s better to let this character speak much until what transpires, and then she is required to do some talking and explanation,” Janney said. It’s through these tiny details that the film appears more real.
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While ‘Lou’ does not fall within the action-thriller genre, it does have some significant issues at heart and is presented in a highly sensible way. In light of this and more, it’s safe to say that, even though it’s not an actual story, it discusses certain real issues and offers the audience something to consider.
