After much anticipation, REPLY is finally streaming on Creator Plus today (November 10th)!
Written and directed by YouTube sensation Elle Mills, the LGBTQ+ short film is a must-see for all lovers of romance.
Celeb Secrets reporter Melanie Rooten sat down with with Elle Mills, along with producer Michael Murphy and lead actresses Ava Capri and Ciara Riley Wilson to learn all about the creation of this monumental short film that combines both early 2000s aspects with a beautifully-written queer storyline.
The coming-of-age love story follows the budding romance between Casey (Wilson) and her new neighbor Hayden (Capri) throughout her last summer before college, despite Casey’s previous relationship with Jackson (Corey Fogelmanis). The entire story is told from the perspective of 15-year-old Sam (Anthony Rosenthal) through his mom’s VHS tapes from 2006, allowing the entire project to be shot on Super 16mm film, ultimately giving REPLY a very unique style and overall vibe.
Capri, reinforced the true beauty of this story by telling us, “I think the film turned out amazing. I think Ciara’s amazing in it.”
“We shot it all on film, so I think it looks really beautiful, and I love the way [Elle] wrote it and the storytelling playing with present and past,” she added.
Being that REPLY is Mills’ breakout directorial debut, we talked to her about the meaning behind REPLY as a whole, as well as what her inspiration was when both writing and directing it. She described REPLY as essentially “[her] vibe as a film,” which helps show the authenticity Mills put into this storyline, and how passionate she truly is about it.
“I think the intention was to make the film I wish I had growing up. I grew up loving 2000s teen movies, and to have a queer 2000s teen movie was always the dream, so I think that was the intention going into it,” she explained.
“I think what’s really special about this is especially because it’s a queer love story of two young girls and it also has all these themes of the early 2000s and nostalgia and those classic rom-coms,” Ciara adds. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen those two things put together before, and I know that’s why Elle wanted to make this project, so I hope that, you know, the fans and people who watch it feel represented.”
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It is clear that creating LGBTQ+ representation was a huge focus when creating REPLY, and not in the “coming out” aspect.
“I feel like I really wanted to create representation and a normalcy to a queer love story… it’s just two girls who are falling for each other, so that’s kind of the message I wanted to portray,” Mills said.
REPLY is a clear indication that this is the start of big things for Elle Mills, and we are so excited to see how she grows as a writer/director, as well as how the rest of the cast and crew will expand beyond this short film. After this incredible production, we can confidently say this is just the beginning of stardom for everyone involved in the creation of REPLY, and we can’t wait to see where they will end up next.
Be sure to stream REPLY tonight at 9 PM PT, exclusively on Creator Plus, and let us know what you think of it by leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet @celebsecrets.
For more on REPLY and its beloved writer/director, producer and stars, watch our full interview below.
