Shannon Beeby delivers a commanding and deeply nuanced performance in Lilly Lives Alone, the haunting psychological thriller from writer-director Martin Melnick. In the film, Beeby embodies Lilly, a woman consumed by grief a decade after the tragic loss of her young daughter. Her life is a fragile routine of work, solitude, and self-destructive coping mechanisms, but as the anniversary of her daughter’s death approaches, strange occurrences and a fraying sense of reality pull her further into a spiral of paranoia, trauma, and possible supernatural danger.
Much of the film unfolds within the walls of Lilly’s home, giving Beeby the space to fully explore the isolation, vulnerability, and guarded rage that define the character. The result is a performance that anchors the film’s dreamlike, sometimes disorienting narrative with raw emotional honesty. With themes of maternal trauma, generational cycles, and the fine line between reality and delusion, Lilly Lives Alone offers Beeby a role that demands both subtlety and intensity, and she delivers on both fronts.
While not a massive scene, it’s still worth noting her appearance as Younger Naomi in Goosebumps, in an episode directed by The Blair Witch Project’s Eduardo Sánchez. While a lot of Beeby’s work was left on the cutting room floor, she still learned a lot from one of the great voices in horror filmmaking.
Her brief appearance seemed to ignite something, and Shannon hasn’t stopped working since her Goosebumps experience. She recently completed Lilly Lives Alone and already has another short film, Oneiromancy, in post-production. In Oneiromancy, Shannon not only stars but also wrote and directed, proving she’s ready to take on any creative challenge that involves a camera.
It was a fun and engaging interview, and seeing Beeby discuss her craft and career made it clear that Lilly Lives Alone is just one of many performances where she’s capable of leaving a lasting impression. Here’s hoping this is the first of many leading roles for an actress who’s proven she can carry a story with both heart and grit.
Jessie Hobson