'Echo Valley' stars Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney talk 'chaotic' fight scene

'Echo Valley' stars shine in tense thriller

Oscar-winner Julianne Moore and Emmy-nominee Sydney Sweeney headline the new Apple Original Films thriller ''Echo Valley,'' and the stars sat down with Paul Milliken to talk about a pivotal scene with a shocking fight.

It would be an absolute crime to reveal anything about the Apple Original Films thriller "Echo Valley," so here’s a spoiler-free nutshell description: Oscar-winner Julianne Moore is a grieving mother, and Emmy-nominee Sydney Sweeney is the troubled daughter who needs an unthinkable favor.

From there … well, let’s just say there are a lot of twists and turns. And the actors say that’s exactly why they wanted to be part of the project.

"I read it, and I was very attracted to the writing and I liked the mother-daughter aspect, and I thought it was really wonderful storytelling," says Moore. "And then I got to the twist, and I was like, ‘This is amazing!’"

Both roles required intense emotional and physical performances from the stars — especially in a pivotal scene which results in a violent fight between mother and daughter. 

"Having Julianne as my scene partner was everything and more. I mean, I felt so safe, and I wanted to explore even deeper versions of who Claire was," says Sweeney. "But a scene like that, as an actor…it's so freeing. Being able to get crazy and emotional and chaotic, and I don't think we even knew what was going to happen. Like, we never really planned it. We didn't rehearse it. It was one of those moments where we were both just like, ‘Let’s go for it.’"

Most of "Echo Valley" takes place on the titular horse farm, which means director Michael Pearce wasn’t just shaping human performances.

"Prima donnas," Pearce laughs of the horses. "All the other actors were very easy to work with, but the horses were…they were tricky." 

But Sweeney is quick to clear her own scene-partner horse from the diva accusations. 

"I had a really good horse," says the actress. "He just became my best friend and would just follow me around. I could hide treats behind my back, and he'd pick in which hand I was holding the treats. I had a good horse."

"Echo Valley" begins streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ this Friday, June 13th.