Although 1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre created an entire subgenre of slasher films — and eight sequels/remakes — not everyone is a fan of the popular horror franchise and legendary icon that is Leatherface. Ironically, Sarah Yarkin, who stars as Melody in the 2022 Netflix incarnation of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, isn’t exactly fond of terrifying slashers, both on- and off-screen. 

But that hasn’t stopped Yarkin, who appeared in the spoof thriller Happy Death Day 2U, from expertly portraying multiple horror characters. In Happy Death Day 2U, she played Dre, a character who provided great comic relief. Now, she’s taking on the much grittier role of Melody in a film replete with the gory, bloody makings of a horror classic. Although Yarkin still has her qualms about horror films — including this one — she also has her reasons for wanting to star in one and change the narrative. In a conversation with Tudum, Yarkin shares how she overcame her fears and other feelings about the horror genre in order to bring her character to life.

First, I'd like to know about your history with horror films since you don’t love scary movies.

Growing up, I really avoided scary things. I'm scared of the dark. I just get scared of everything. So I put off watching this movie until I got the role, and the original is so demented — it’s horrifying. Knowing I had to live up to that was a lot of pressure.

It’s definitely a lot of pressure to be part of such a historic remake. Do you think a lot of that had to do with the fact that it’s a film with this massive legacy, or was it just the general challenge of acting in a slasher movie?

Well, what's interesting about shooting a horror movie is that you see all the mechanisms behind it. You're not really being scared. The jump scares, all those happen in the edit. It was getting myself to that emotional place every day, then also the physical place of being covered under the elements: the blood, the poop, the sweat, the soaking wet — all of it — that was horrifying in its own way. Crying and yelling and screaming for 10 hours a day every day, that was scary. But it wasn't like I was on set every day being scared of Leatherface.

It’s hard to imagine that you aren’t a huge fan of horror, because you definitely sell the role of Melody to the audience. Can you tell us about some of your influences while portraying this character?

I had watched the original, and I was very inspired and, of course, intimidated by that. I really wanted to ground her in a realistic place — she’s a real person with real career ambitions, and every choice she makes is for the love of her sister. I wanted to make her a person who people care about, so that for the second half of the movie, when she's running from Leatherface, you don't want her to die because you care about her. I think the best horror movies are ones where you actually care about the protagonists.

I can definitely see that. The original Texas Chain Saw Massacre had the demented family element, but you guys really tried to bring a loving family element to this new one.

Oh yeah, I like that interpretation. I hadn't thought of it that way.

Just to backtrack a little: You were actually in another — albeit super comedic, over-the-top — horror movie, Happy Death Day 2U. How did it feel to go from that light and more frivolous story to this grounded, gritty one?

I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Happy Death Day 2U is this fun, bubbly horror-comedy. I don't think I was in a single scene that was a real horror moment, so it was a totally different experience. It felt like shooting a comedy in many ways. I got the Texas Chainsaw Massacre script, and I'm reading it like, "Yeah, let's get dirty. Yeah, I want to be covered in blood and sweat. And I want to be freezing cold and soaking wet and then covered in poop when a sewage pipe explodes on me. Let's freaking go." The difference is when you're actually shooting it, and the quarter page that's me hiding under a bed is three days of me hiding under a bed and crying. It starts to really weigh on you — physically and emotionally. It's just totally not what you could have ever expected.

I have to agree on that; Texas Chainsaw Massacre is full of the unexpected, especially the ending. What do you think happens next for Lila and her family — or, spoiler alert, what's left of them?

I honestly don't know, and I'm excited to see if they want to do another film after this. Does Lila take her revenge? Where is Leatherface going to be? I think he's such an iconic horror figure that there will always be a world for him. There'll always be iterations for writers and creatives to explore. So I'm sure this isn't the end of Leatherface. I also think it would be a cool thing to explore what happens to Lila.

Last thing: Do you have any advice for someone struggling to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre who isn’t a horror fan?

I've heard Elsie and Sarah are super fun people, and you should watch them maybe get really messed up and maybe die.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.