Things get a bit tick, tick… gloom for Ella (Glee’s Dianna Agron) in Clock, the new psychological horror film written and directed by Alexis Jacknow. The compelling movie, based on Jacknow’s short film of the same name, is captivating throughout, putting a unique spin on motherhood and that proverbial ticking “clock” some women face when deciding to start a family — or in this case, not.
Our protagonist is just not that into motherhood. But everybody else around Ella seemingly is. Caving into peer pressure, Ella feels alienated and worries about her marriage to Aidan (Jay Ali). As she questions her own sanity, she decides to risk everything and partake in a clinical trial to undergo a fertility experimentation. That’s when things get really creepy.
Under the watchful eye of Dr. Elizabeth Simmons (Melora Hardin), Ella suddenly finds herself embarking on a precarious emotional path that may forever alter her. As daring as it is bold, Clock is bound to touch some nerves. Stars Dianna Agron, Melora Hardin (The Office), Saul Rubinek (Hunters, Warehouse 13), and writer/director Alexis Jacknow shared more about the film with MovieWeb. Dive in.
Dianna Agron’s Personal Connection to Clock
Clock made its world premiere at the 2023 Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans to much fanfare. But Jacknow had already turned heads when her original short film aired on Hulu in its Huluween lineup several years ago. The buzz was growing. For Agron and Jacknow, bringing Clock to life was a deeply personal experience.
“I struggled for many years making the decision about whether to have children,” admitted Jacknow, “and it was really the thing that kept me up at night. It was a bit of torture, I would say, but what better place to write from?”
“Similarly, I'm in my later 30s, and I have chosen to not have kids up until this point,” added Agron. “And I've experienced many people who have opinions about that. When I read the script, I felt a sense of relief that it existed. And Alexis and I had a beautiful conversation about what this would be in the landscape. I also received this wonderful lookbook that Alexis put together, so I understood what the textures and colors and feelings [of the film] would be.”
The Glee star went on to say that after that, the duo “hit the ground running.” “I think there can be a tendency, even the most well-meaning situations with friends, family members, or mixed strangers, to offer advice. And that advice can be very personal," noted Agron. “And it may not be what you need to hear or want to hear, or, or even something that’s supportive in your own journey. My hope for this film is that there is a thought afterward of, ‘Can I be gentler to the women around me? Can I support other choices that are not my own more fully?’ I think those things are important because a personal journey is a personal journey.”
Melora Hardin Takes on a Pivotal Role
As Dr. Simmons, Melora Hardin delivers a grounded if not eerie performance of a doctor with ulterior motives. Simmons convinces Ella to partake in a special fertility treatment to get biological clock “ticking.” That decision proves to be dicey.
“I really responded to the fresh voice Alexis had when she made her short film and I was excited to be a part of the expanded journey of Ella and Dr. Simmons, and see where they go, and what happens,” shared Hardin. “I was very taken with just how conversational it felt — quite feminist, you know, childbirth and having children. It was a voice I've never really heard before, especially coming from a woman.”
Dr. Simmons is Ella’s last hope in the story. Or so she thinks. After braving baby shares and stares from disgruntled moms, Ella ponders if there is something seriously wrong with her for not wanting a child.
“The character is a really brilliant character,” said Hardin, “but she has her own ambitions to create this very cutting-edge technique. She thinks she's doing something good for women, but I think she's lost sight of what these women really are like. There’s such a thing as needing to be fixed or being broken because you don't want a child. She’s decided, ‘Oh, I'm going to fix that. That was an interesting take on it, I think, and one of the reasons I wanted to be part of this.”
Saul Rubinek on Clock’s Deeper Dives
All the performances shine in Clock. Saul Rubinek, who turned heads in Prime Video's stellar Nazi-hunter series, Hunters, plays Joseph, Ella’s outspoken widower dad, and the child of Holocaust survivors. Joseph’s health is declining and at their weekly family Shabbat, he pressures an already tormented Ella to keep the ancestral line going before he passes. That unwelcome guilt-trip has been going on for years, and it doesn’t help Ella now that she’s questioning everything about herself.
“I thought the film was very brave,” shared Rubinek. “Alexis created a real, honest portrayal of a woman going through this guilt, shame, and ultimately, horror.” He went on to note a very “profound” scene he had in the film that truly surprised him:
“I was tearing up all these family photographs, because in a moment of childish rage, Joseph has feeling about all the ancestors who have come before, including the Holocaust survivors. He thinks, ‘For what reason are you not going to continue our family’s line? It all ends with you.’ And his rage comes out unexpectedly. And then the scene later, he does feel some guilt and regret about having reacted that way.
“I wanted that scene to come out of a really human place for a character who’s not a monster," continued Rubinek. "And it's unusual to have a Holocaust survivor and have this female who’s got a monstrous figure that kind of haunts her, representing all her guilt about the people that survived before her. That kind of pressure transcends Judaism or any culture. We'll find that in every single culture on Earth — that pressure on women about continuing the line and having that instinct fundamental to their natures; that if they don't have it, they must lie about it, and can't admit it.”
Dianna Agron Made Her Biggest Leaps in Clock
Beyond the deeply personal connections to the film, Clock also happens to be Agron’s first lead role in a movie, something that was always on her mind during the shoot.
“This was my first real step into this genre, and just loved making this film,” she said. “It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, and I really couldn't have done it without Alexis, I felt so supported every step of the way. There are a lot of things that are just really hard to accomplish in the film. There are 10- and 12-minute scenes where every single emotion is being explored. From full discovery and rampant tears, and anger, sadness and, vulnerability. So those things were all so carefully built with Alexis at the helm.”
Agron also shared how relevant and timely the film is, especially in today’s ever-shifting political landscape.
“I really don't want to give spoilers in the film, but we know there are troubled waters coming in the story,” explained Agron. “If you experienced the teaser, that alone would indicate that it's not probably going to end very well. I believe the film shows how you don't really understand what your actions and words can mean to somebody. The place Ella ends up is very representative of the chaos that exists because of the lack of support she feels and the dominoes effect because of it. It's both surprising and unsurprising.”
Clock winds its way onto Hulu April 28.