For Irish actress Niamh Algar, her star-making turn in Censor is a nice follow-up to earning the BAFTA Breakthrough Brit award in 2019 that put her on the map. The Prano Bailey-Bond film, which finds her starring as someone working for the British government in the titular role (specifically for horror films), should serve as a talent announcement of the highest order.
The Movie Mensch had the honor of a Zoom video interview with Algar, where we deeply explored Censor. The actress reveals what it was that first grabbed her when she read Bailey-Bond’s script and how this world she created was calling her. It’s an irresistible part for any actress. She’s in every scene and gets to run the emotional gamut like few roles offer. This writer could not have been more impressed by her performance and getting to speak to her about it was a true gift as she offered insight that only further made Censor resonate.
If you guessed that after reading the script, she dove right back in for a second go-through… you’d be right. She reported that the third act caught her “completely by surprise.” Exactly what you want from a film, particularly one that shocks and awes like Censor!
Censor features Algar as Enid Baines. It’s the recent past and after a string of crimes blamed on the bloodiest of slasher films, the British government has taken control of this part of the industry and re-edited many of these flicks so that they are “suitable” and won’t spur folks to take up axes and kill. Enid’s office is an interesting place, filled with personalities that are as three-dimensional as supporting players can be, so when someone goes on a killing spree after witnessing one of the films that Enid worked on, there’s a lot of self-introspection going on with her, but also office-wide. The press, well, they’re having a field day with it.
The effect on Enid is much more cerebral and sends us down a path that is horrifying, both mentally and physically. Censor lands in theaters June 11 and can be accessed On Demand on June 18. For fans of horror, it is must-see. For appreciators of the art of acting, Algar puts on a clinic in Censor, and it is largely why Bailey-Bond’s film is so powerful.
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As you’ll see in the above interview, Algar also discloses how growing up in the countryside of Ireland as the youngest of five children led her to the life she enjoys currently. “Movies were like my friends,” she admitted. Her passion for storytelling was born there, as was a belief that cinema can reach people, unlike any other medium.