One of the many horror films coming to us in 2025 is arriving this week, and that’s “Alma & The Wolf.” Directed by Michael Patrick Jann, it stars Ethan Embry as Deputy Ren Accord, a very troubled man who has been thrust into a horrifying investigation he may not be fully prepared for. One day while driving on his usual route, he comes across Alma, played by Li Jun Li, who is walking alone in the rain while clutching to what is left of her dog. Alma tells Ren a wolf killed her dog and begs him to kill the wolf for her as an act of revenge. Wolves, however, are protected wildlife in the state of Oregon, so Ren tells Alma he cannot help her that way. But when his son goes missing in the Oregon coast, Ren comes to believe it may have everything to do with the wolf that killed Alma’s dog, and he becomes infinitely determined to find his son and kill the elusive wolf.

I was lucky enough to speak with Ethan Embry and Li Jun Li who are the main stars of “Alma & The Wolf” this past week. Ethan started off his career as a child actor, and he starred opposite Ed O’Neil in the John Hughes written and produced film “Dutch,” and he is best known for his roles in “A Far Off Place,” “Empire Records” and “That Thing You Do.” Li got her start as an actress in the theatre, and she later became known for her role as Iris Chang in the television series “Quantico.” In addition, she has received critical acclaim for her roles as Lady Fay Zhu in Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” and Grace Chow in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.”

Much of my talk with Ethan and Li Li, as she likes to be called, was about acting and their choices. With “Alma & The Wolf,” they were involved in a cinematic production which had a very short production schedule, and I was curious how the speed of it affected their performances overall. Being an actor myself, I found their answers to be deeply informative and fascinating.

“Alma & The Wolf” will be dropped on streaming services starting on June 20, 2025. Please check out the interview below, and I have included a trailer for the film as well.