After loving their work in Slasher, I was immediately intrigued when I learned that Paula Brancati and Jim Watson would be reuniting in Hell Motel, the new horror anthology series from Slasher creators Aaron Martin and Ian Carpenter. The two actors bring their familiar genre pedigree to the eerie, blood-soaked world of the Cold River Motel—a location haunted by both supernatural dread and a very human hunger for true crime spectacle.
Having admired Paula Brancati since her days on Degrassi and being a fan of Jim Watson's haunting turn in Crimson Peak, I jumped at the chance to speak with them about their latest foray into horror. Both were clearly excited to return to a creative environment that balances grisly thrills with character-driven storytelling—something Slasher excelled at, and which Hell Motel takes even further.
In Hell Motel, Brancati plays Paige, a former scream queen hoping to reignite a flickering acting career by attending the grand reopening of the infamous Cold River Motel—site of a brutal, unsolved mass murder that still casts a long, bloody shadow. Watson plays Andy, a reserved academic specializing in true crime. He's more comfortable behind a podium than in the thick of real-life carnage, but like the rest of the guests, he’s about to find himself in a nightmare beyond any lecture.
What fascinated me about our conversation was how both actors approach horror not just as a genre, but as a mirror. Hell Motel deliberately blurs the lines between fandom and obsession, between entertainment and exploitation. Both Brancati and Watson were thoughtful in discussing how their characters reflect these themes—Paige clinging to past fame in a genre that has shaped her identity, Andy examining horror from a distance only to be swallowed by it firsthand.
We also discussed what it was like stepping back into a similar format as Slasher: an ensemble-driven, closed-room horror mystery, where the killers lurk among the victims and no one is safe. While the structure may feel familiar, Hell Motel amps up the stakes and leans hard into satire, particularly when it comes to the modern true crime craze. For fans of the genre, it’s a twisted treat that manages to feel both self-aware and brutally effective.
The set of the Cold River Motel—claustrophobic, rain-soaked, and thick with dread—became a character in its own right, and both actors reflected on how that atmosphere helped heighten the tension during production. And though they couldn’t share spoilers, their enthusiasm hinted at plenty of surprises, betrayals, and grim delights waiting for viewers.
Talking with Paula and Jim, it was clear they both relish the challenges horror offers—from emotional extremes to physical endurance—and that Hell Motel gave them a chance to dig into layered, flawed characters caught in extreme circumstances. It’s exactly the kind of performance-driven horror that made Slasher such a cult hit, and Hell Motel feels like a natural evolution of that legacy.
Jessie Hobson: So, for Paula, Paige's trying to rekindle a career that's left her behind. Did you see her as a cautionary tale, or a redemption story, or maybe a little bit of both?
Paula Brancati: Oh, that's such a good question. You know, when Erin and Ian and I spoke about this very early, they pitched me the whole—her whole arc—now it would have been 2 years ago, and they talked to me about what it might feel like. And I would say, of anything we've done, it's the closest. You know, they were like, and Adam was like, What if you just use your voice? What if it's... You know, it's definitely meta. I was like, Mama's got to book a little Botox for when we wrap, because she's aging out of every part.
I think what was fun is also playing to that very uncomfortable line of, like, you know, the thing that does happen when you've been growing up in an industry. I've been working since—I just turned 36, very proud to say it—started working professionally at 8 years old. I'm a veteran in some ways.
I'm ready to retire in about 10 years, and I feel like there's a part of me that's seen what is available to women as we age. The things that have been said about me, like my face and my body—to my face and online—are shocking, but you become kind of numb to it. So I was interested in playing somebody who... we're sort of meeting her at the very end of that road. She's kind of like, Can I even continue in this industry? And I also really like the idea of Paige being somebody who had to make it on her own financially, didn’t have other support. You know, it's sort of from a middle-to-lower-class situation. She references her family kicking her out.
Anybody who's under the gun, anybody where the stakes are that high—there's not much you wouldn't do. And I think that's a really exciting place to meet a character. So, though she's very sympathetic, we are set up with somebody who can make all kinds of choices within that. So I don't know. I have a lot of empathy for her. I think there's a redemption story. I think there's an underdog story. I think there's a bit of, like, fuck around and find out with her, you know? Like, let's just see. We can curse on here, right? I'm 36!
JH: Yeah, you're—why not? Why not? And Jim, with Andy, you know, comes the academic world of true crime studies. How did you prepare to portray someone immersed in that kind of analytical thinking amid literal chaos?
Jim Watson: I mean, any analytical thinking is a big actor stretch for me, so that was the start. It was kind of—you know, I'm not gonna lie—Ian and Aaron and Adam, the team, they really set it up like on a, you know, T-ball for me. They gave me all the information. Ian especially was so good at really telling me to, you know, if you're going to go here, focus on this sort of pathway, look into this sort of Satanic ritualism and things like that. But actually, the thing I was most concerned about was portraying that intellectual, that PhD sort of personality.
And a friend of mine’s son is currently going through the process, and he and I sat down, and we had a really good chat about, like, what is it to defend your PhD? You know, what should I expect in that room? And so it was—it was—it was sadly a stretch for me to play someone with such a high intellect. But it was fun, you know? And I think I pulled it off. We’re gonna have to wait and see.
But yeah, I did well. I did well. And to be honest, with the cast of characters we had, what I found mostly was that you really found your place. Everyone sort of slotted into this puzzle that was created by the creatives, and it really just felt like stepping into a nice pair of shoes and just going on a nice walk with everyone. And so many familiar faces—it was strangely not that difficult. I don't know how, you know? It was just—it felt right. It felt really, really nice.
JH: Well, it shines through—especially in y'all's answers, because Paula laughed while you were talking, and then Jim laughed while Paula was talking. So that's all a viewer or a fan can ask for—that, you know, this is kind of neat to kind of see the other side of it. So congratulations!
JW: Oh, thank you very much.
JH: There's a fun legacy feel to both of your characters—you know, the scream queen, the true crime. Did you guys draw from any real-life personas or media to help shape these characters?
JW: I mean, for me, like, my wife and I, we love to listen to those, you know, podcasts that tell you about every horrific murder, you know, under the sun. So that sort of approach, that storytelling, too, of true crime dramas—it's really an interesting thing to retell a story that is very familiar to people in a new and enticing way.
And in some respect, that is what the creators of Hell Motel and Slasher—you know—they're really playing into a genre that's well established, and they're paying homage. So that was very helpful for me to kind of find the rhythms of the approach to the work, and the retelling of an old story, in a sense. So yeah—we listen to a lot of murder podcasts.
That's the long and short of it.
PB: Yeah, I've gotten into those, too, Jim. Those are oddly like comforting. And they're crazy.
JW: Yeah, which is very scary—that we're comforted.
PB: Well, I guess I've read this somewhere, but women—I think women love them too. And Jim, tell me if this feels right for your lady, but it's like... we like knowing we were right. We're right to be as worried as we are. I just want to feel validated.
JH: I think it also has to do with, like, the closer you get to 40, the more appealing they are.
JW: It's true. Yes. I get a lot of side-eyes from my wife going, See?
PB: Honestly, I think for Paige, Adam and I talked a lot about Jennifer Love Hewitt. I Know What Summer was, like, iconic. And she's just amazing in that. And I think, you know, like, Neve Campbell, I thought a lot about. I think that's who Paige would have wanted to be, you know, in the height of her career, in her heyday. I think she was on her way—maybe there. I love Drew Barrymore so much in Scream.
Like that—I love the Scream franchise. I do scare very easily, but those kind of OG teen horrors, I really love. And that was sort of who I used as Paige's goal. I think she knows that she's aged out of that at this point, and she's really holding on.
I also wanted to make sure she lacked some of the effervescence of some of those stars that she loved. And I think we talked about that in terms of, like, how she dressed, how her makeup shifted, even slightly. I made some conscious choices early that, like, I don't think she laughs and smiles very much.
I just don't think she... she's not super light. And that's not how she's leading—and hasn't led with that for a long time. So yeah, I kind of wanted to see her feeling a bit dimmer than maybe those people that she would have wanted to emulate.
JH: I love to hear that. Yeah, I did notice those little nuances, and that's wild to actually know that some thought went into that—I really love that.
Does working on shows like Hell Motel and Slasher—because you guys both have quite, you know, catalogs of projects that you've worked on, not just horror obviously—but do those kind of change how you feel about true crime culture or even horror fandom? Because it is a different animal. And the more you dig, the more it's almost kind of like a family, in a way.
PB: Yeah.
JH: Whether you like it or not.
PB: That's such a good... I love the fan base. I think it's so voracious and loyal. And I love the winking at the genre. I love the humor within the slasher genre. I love the homage that's paid.
I really love it on a filmmaking level—from the lighting, to the sound design, to the score. Spencer, the composer, is spectacular. Everyone’s amazing. But I think there's such an artistry to it that I've really, really appreciated. And just, like, how you're framing a shot, how different that would be if it wasn't genre.
Yeah, I really like the homage that's paid from project to project. I think there's such an appreciation for each other's work. And I think that's really, really special. And I felt a lot of warmth from the horror community since starting Slasher. So yeah—that's how I feel about it.
JW: Yeah. The fan base is insane. Yeah.
JH: I will say that with these shows, especially, there is a very interesting approach about balancing that satire and that sincerity that is felt within the community. So, awesome performances all around.
JW: The fan base is so good also at pointing out those pieces of homage that are being paid. You could do something as simple as a classic camera trick, and there are fans that are like, Oh, that was from that movie from 18— not 1800s, but you know what I mean.
They are a very passionate group, and it makes filming these things that much more special, because you know someone’s gonna get it.
With Hell Motel premiering June 17 on Shudder and AMC+, horror fans—and true crime obsessives—are in for a chilling new ride. For those who’ve followed Brancati and Watson through their careers, this is another exciting chapter. And for newcomers, it’s a bloody good place to start.
Jessie Hobson