Traci Hays has made a name for herself in the horror genre. Blood, Sweat, and Cheer was recently included in Vulture’s list of Top Ten Best Tubi Original Movies which you can see here. Her most recent film My Bloody Galentine chronicled three women (Ella Rae-Smith, Cassie Clare, and Miriam-Teak Lee) who plot revenge on their exes after they are dumped before Valentine’s Day, which quickly turns deadly. The movie was recently featured on Creepy Catalog’s list of 75+ Best (and worst) Horror Movies of 2024 which you can see here.
Now she’s about to debuted her latest film On The Run. The indie horror thriller follows two sisters, Kayla and Paige Jones, who are polar opposites. While Kayla (Sofia Masson) wants to follow in the footsteps of their mother to become a teacher, Paige (Taylor Geare) wants nothing more than to leave their small desert town to forge her own path. After their mother is murdered, the sisters discover that they have been in Witness Protection ever since their father betrayed Vince (William Mark McCullough), the president of The Inferno Risers motorcycle club who is now out of prison and seeking vengeance against the family. Kayla and Paige soon find themselves on the run across the Southwest and, with no one left to protect them, quickly realize that they can only rely on each other to save their sisterhood. The movie is set to premiere on Tubi August 17th.
Traci welcome to OLC! You take the helm on a new film called On The Run which has a gripping plot centered around sisterhood and survival. What inspired you to tell this story?
Actually, my two very talented writer friends, Becky Wangberg and Sarah Eisenberg came up with the concept for the story. From the very beginning, it was centered on a family joining the Witness Protection Program, also known as WITSEC. Through my research about WITSEC, I discovered an incredible true story about Jackee Taylor’s experiences joining as a young girl which inspired the backdrop the movie was set in.
Both Kayla and Paige have distinct and opposing personalities. How did you develop their characters, and what message do you hope to convey through their journey?
As Becky, Sarah, and I all grew up with siblings, we wanted to inject our collective experiences through Kayla and Paige’s personalities and how they handled things very differently. I related to Paige’s rebellious personality as I went through a “punk” phase in high school and Kayla’s protective nature over Paige as I’m the oldest of two younger sisters. By going through this emotional journey together, my goal was to show how two young women set aside their differences and work together to not only survive but thrive – bonded by sisterhood.
The backdrop of the desert plays a significant role in the film’s atmosphere. What made you choose this setting, and how did it influence the storytelling?
Since the Jones family was relocated from California to a small remote, town, I wanted the landscape to reflect their desolate circumstances, hidden away in a forgotten place where no one would come looking for them. Our line producer, Drew Brandon Jones, had made a film in Tucumcari, New Mexico, and suggested we shoot there. The town captured the perfect tone, stuck in the past, and provided a vast, dusty cinematic landscape.
You’ve made a name for yourself in the horror genre with films like Blood, Sweat, and Cheer and My Bloody Galentine. What draws you to horror, and how do you approach creating suspense and fear in your movies?
You know it’s funny – I actually don’t like watching most horror movies. I get scared too easily. I’m drawn to the slow-burning suspense classic horror films of the 1980s – 1990s such as The Thing, Halloween, Scream, The Craft, etc. When I was a teenager, I saw Vertigo for the first time at the Stanford Theatre in Northern California during their Hitchcock “The Master of Suspense” festival and was hooked! I was drawn to the edge-of-your-seat hold-your-breath suspense hidden in the shadows waiting to jump out at you!
On The Run deals with themes of family, betrayal, and revenge. How did you balance these themes to create a cohesive and engaging narrative?
Such a great question! It all started with the script and writers, Becky Wangberg and Sarah Eisenberg, who laid the foundation for the overall story structure. I wanted the pace to have bursts of unexpected energy mixed with quiet slower-burn moments that held more emotional weight, all the while ratcheting up the tension of the chase. Each character is struggling with all three of these themes throughout the film in different ways that lead them to question who they can trust.
Working with actors like Sofia Masson and Taylor Geare, what was your process for guiding them to bring their characters, Kayla and Paige, to life?
Sofia and Taylor are such pros! They embodied each character with such grace, layered nuance, and truth. They deeply understood Kayla and Paige’s history and quickly formed a sisterly bond on set that translated to the screen. With less than a week to prepare, Sofia came to set over prepared with so much insight into Kayla’s strengths and insecurities that I was easily able to help shape her character from moment to moment. Taylor was no different – she spent hours learning her guitar solos to the point that her fingertips bled! She was able to tap into her emotional depth on cue. Their bond didn’t just end when we wrapped principal photography – they have formed a beautiful friendship. I feel like a proud parent and it makes me so happy!
On The Run explores the concept of Witness Protection and the dangers that come with it. What kind of research did you conduct to accurately portray this aspect of the story?
I was shocked to discover that there wasn’t an accurate film made about the Witness Protection program and even less factual information about how the program is run. That being said, I did find WITSEC: Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program written by the founder of the program, Gerald Shur which was a huge source of information. I practically dipped the whole book in a yellow highlighter! It had many amazing nuggets and first-hand accounts of people’s experiences being relocated that helped inform character choices. It was imperative to me that we accurately portrayed how the program worked and how it affected the whole family differently.
Your film My Bloody Galentine was featured on Creepy Catalog’s list of 75+ Best (and worst) Horror Movies of 2024. How does it feel to receive such recognition, and what impact has it had on your career?
The article came out of nowhere – such a wonderful surprise! It’s always flattering to hear nice things about my work – the icing on the cake! It’s hard to know the exact impact the article has had on my career thus far, but it has helped fuel the momentum I feel building and hopefully brought more of an audience to the film.
As a proud member of various women-centric film organizations, how do you see the role of women evolving in the film industry, especially in genres like horror?
The stories we tell through film should reflect the diverse world around us. For so long, that hasn’t been the case, and thankfully now more women filmmakers are getting a seat at the table – an opportunity to share their experiences and points of view. We still have a long way to go and it’s imperative that women support, empower, and educate one another. This is why I’m a proud member of Film Fatales, Alliance of Women Directors, and Moonshot Initiative which amplify women’s voices and provide a community for working women in the business.
Mentored by legendary directors at Chapman University, how have those experiences shaped your approach to filmmaking, and what key lessons have you carried forward in your career?
I met Martha Coolidge over a weekly filmmaker-in-residence dinner while attending Chapman University’s film school. Through this, we developed a friendship and she voluntarily became my mentor, overseeing my senior thesis, Lions Among Men. A decade later, Martha continues to be a sounding board, offering advice about the most crucial decisions I’ve made in my career thus far. I greatly admire her persistence and dedication to her craft and how she stands up for her vision amidst many male counterparts in classrooms and on film sets. Her matter-of-fact way of thinking about the business has given me insight into navigating my own career effectively.
With On The Run premiering on Tubi, what do you think about the rise of streaming platforms for indie filmmakers, and how do you see it changing the landscape of film distribution?
With the rise of streaming services came a greater need for content and Tubi saw this opportunity and ran with it. They are focused on giving emerging female directors a space to have their voices heard, take creative risks, and push boundaries. I felt supported every step of the way while making this film and feel honored to be a part of the growing Tubi family.
Can you share any upcoming projects or future plans you have in the works, and what can your fans look forward to next from you?
I just optioned the National Best Selling YA book, GoldenGrove written by Francine Prose, and am in the middle of taking the project out. It’s a beautiful coming-of-age story that explores the fragility of adolescent identity and the dangerous undertow of grief through the eyes of a young girl who becomes a woman.
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