Shell is a black comedy horror movie that also serves as something of a The Handmaid’s Tale reunion for its star, Elisabeth Moss. The movie was helmed by Max Minghella, who played Nick in that series, as his second directorial effort. Although it premiered in 2024, Shell is now enjoying a wide release, making it Moss’ first post-Handmaid’s Tale project.

The story centers around Samantha Lake (Moss), a once-loved actor who has found herself struggling to stay relevant. That is, until she meets with Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson), a wellness mogul whose offerings appear too good to be true. Samantha goes on to discover exactly what lies beneath the glossy exterior of Shannon’s company, Shell.

ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke with Elisabeth Moss about the actor’s work in the darkly funny Shell. Moss discussed her collaborative process with Max Minghella, how the unique tone of the movie developed, and how Moss felt about its larger themes. Shell comes to digital platforms and select theaters October 3.

Elisabeth Moss & Max Minghella Have A Relationship June & Nick Could Never

The relationship between June and Nick in The Handmaid’s Tale was fraught, to say the least. Thankfully, the relationship between the stars behind those characters is anything but. Elisabeth Moss detailed her collaborative process with Max Minghella, who stepped behind the camera to bring Shell to life.

ScreenRant: Shell marks a reunion for you and Max Minghella, and you directed him in The Handmaid’s Tale. How is the dynamic different this time around, and what was it like reuniting?

Elisabeth Moss: We just never stopped working together. We joined forces on this film while we were shooting Handmaid’s; he sent it to me and I fell in love with it and was like, “Yes,” right away–“Let’s do this together.”

Then of course, there’s always a little bit of a process to pull a movie together, especially a smaller film. So that took its time that it takes, and then it felt like we literally walked from one set where I was directing onto a set where he was directing. It was very seamless.

We’re close friends, so we talked quite often, and it just felt like we got to hang out. That was kind of the saddest thing when we stopped shooting: we were like, “Oh, [we’re] not going to hang out every day anymore.” So, it was just very seamless, honestly.

ScreenRant: The movie is dark, it’s real sociopathic, and at times there’s a bit of camp, which I love. What did you see in his vision that excited you the most?

Elisabeth Moss: I think the fact that he wanted to have fun with it [and] keep it entertaining. He’s a huge cinephile. He’s seen everything, and he is not a snob. He’s seen your AFI, like, “100 Best Movies” list, but he’s also huge fan of ‘90s films and campy films, and this is his wheelhouse.

So, [it was] the fact that he’s such a fan of this kind of movie and this kind of story and just making a movie that is purely fun, entertaining, and visually interesting. I knew that he could do that, and that was exciting to me–that he was making something that I felt was in his wheelhouse.

Why Shell’s Themes Resonated Deeply WIth Elisabeth Moss

Moss didn’t only choose to star in Shell because of her relationship with Minghella. The actor also found plenty to relate to when it comes to her experiences in Hollywood over the course of her career.

ScreenRant: What I really found interesting too this idea of youth and beauty, [and how,] for Samantha, it’s really not something that’s on her mind until it’s projected onto her. And I’m curious just what message you wanted to carry through this film, and how you’ve had to navigate those things.

Elisabeth Moss: I mean, I’ve been working in this business for 37 years. I’ve seen a lot, and I’ve lived in this time when you would never really see an actress above a certain age on a TV show, getting nominated for something, or winning an Oscar; it just didn’t happen.

Luckily in the last however many years, that’s really changed, especially as I’m getting older. I’ve lived my whole career as a woman in this industry with this idea that, “Well, it’s going to dry up at some point [when I’m] above 40.” It used to be probably 35. And I still think that happens. Unfortunately, that does happen.

So, for me, [there] was definitely something [where] I was like, “This is super close to home.” The whole audition process, not feeling like you’re the prettiest girl in the room [and that] everyone’s taller and skinnier than you are. That’s something that I am deeply familiar with, and I think a lot of us are–men and women.

It’s something that we are constantly dealing: this idea [that] we’re not young enough, we’re not pretty enough, we’re not skinny enough. I think it’s just so relatable, so I loved it. I loved being able to dive into those insecurities and be kind of vulnerable about that.

Believe me, when you’re standing next to Kaia Gerber, you just feel a certain way and there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re standing next to Kaia Gerber and you’re like, “Okay, I definitely am not that.” And I liked actually being able to lean into that and kind of have fun with it.

And I was a dancer for many years, in ballet, so that’s a whole other ball of wax of comparison, and it’s something that I love doing. I’m the type of person that doesn’t like to sit in hair and makeup. I hate getting my makeup done.

I’m a girly girl–-I like putting my own makeup on–but when I’m working, I prefer to explore looking a different way and looking a little bit more either normal or super f***ed up, quite frankly. So for me, that was really fun–to face that head on.

Shell hits select theaters and digital platforms on October 3.