Hulu's new movie Appendage uniquely approaches the horror genre by turning everyday worries into a tangible entity that thrives off its protagonist's self-doubt. Hannah is a resilient young fashion designer who aspires to be successful in her field and achieve the approval of her supervisor. However, the pressure to be perfect, combined with her deep-rooted insecurities, causes a vindictive appendage to grow from her body and give life to her greatest fears.

Originally a Bite Size Halloween short, Anna Zlokovic is both the director and writer of Appendage. She also serves as a producer alongside EPs David Worthen Brooks, Arbi Pedrossian, and Jenna Cavelle. While Appendage is Zlokovic's first feature film, she's worked on shorts such as Sienna Byrd, Shorty, and Luna & Lars. The main cast includes Hadley Robinson, Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek), Brandon Mychal Smith, and Kausar Mohammed.

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Anna Zlokovic chats exclusively with Screen Rant about the practical effects used to create the appendage, the universality of mental health, and the importance of Hannah and Esther's friendship. Note: This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, and the film covered here would not exist without the labor of the actors in the union.

Anna Zlokovic Talks Appendage

Screen Rant: Appendage has such a unique premise. I’ve never seen a horror film quite like this. How did the idea originate?

Anna Zlokovic: It came from living with anxiety and depression and trying to figure out how to put that into a story that isn't super heavy, but is still honoring that struggle while also having some humor to it and balancing those things.

I am very curious about how the appendage was created. Obviously, a level of special effects had to be used, but did the art department create something tangible for the film?

Anna Zlokovic: It was all practical effects. We had this amazing special effects creature department. Everything was built and robotic. I'm a big proponent of that. I think it looks amazing.

How close was the final product to what you originally imagined in your head?

Anna Zlokovic: Darn close. Amber Mari, the creature department head, and I spent a lot of critical time going back and forth. She would 3D model stuff. There were three stages that we had to figure out. We worked with 3D modeling, we worked with Midjourney, and we worked with several artists. We went back and forth and kind of hammered in what we liked the best. I was really excited. It really turned out very close to what was in my head.

There are so many wonderfully unsettling aspects to this from the appendage itself to the threat that it poses. However, what do you feel is the heart or the true root of the horror in this story? What do you think is really going to speak to people’s fears?

Anna Zlokovic: I think that anxiety, depression, or any sort of mental health struggle that you're having is quite a universal thing, and we're kind of afraid to talk about it still. It's sort of this shameful thing that everyone is like, "I don't go through that." But I think we all do. The older I get, the more I'm like, "Wow, you feel that way too?" And so I think that that sort of universal intrusive thought and impostor syndrome voice is what's going to get people the most.

Did the character of Hannah come to you first, or did you end up building her around the appendage?

Anna Zlokovic: I always start with character first, and we were able to do the short film version of it in 2021, so that was kind of a good test of it. It definitely came from Hannah and her backstory, and how that relates to the appendage, and how those things tie together thematically.

Deep female friendship isn’t something you find in a lot of horror films, so I really enjoyed the relationship between Hannah and Esther. Why did you feel that was important to include?

Anna Zlokovic: I think that Hannah's friendship with Esther is crucial to her surviving the whole story and coming through on the other side. It was important to show that support, because I think so much of the time, we don't know what to do when someone is struggling or how to help. I think friendship is a huge part of that, and just being there for someone.

It was really important for me to show that on screen, and also just to highlight a female friendship because I think we still don't see it often enough. And just that level of closeness and how they can understand each other even though they've gone through tough times in their friendship because of what Hannah is going through. I think that that was really important.

What is that you look for in a horror movie that captures your own fears?

Anna Zlokovic: For me, it has to be about something that I can emotionally lock in to. I love jump scares. I'm, like, afraid of everything. But I think, to get to my core, I need something emotionally visceral that I can connect to, so I always look for that when I'm watching horror—like The Babadook. An amazing movie about grief. It made me cry. That's what I'm always looking for.

With Appendage being your first feature film, how was the experience overall?

Anna Zlokovic: It was wild. It's a huge learning curve. It's also something I've been preparing for for the longest time, so it all felt really right. It was just exciting. All the challenges and every obstacle I was just excited by. How do we figure this out? How do we do this? How do we make it the best movie we can on this budget? It was an awesome experience, difficult, all of the things, and I'm really excited to do it again.

About Appendage

Hannah (Hadley Robinson), a young fashion designer, seems fine on the surface, but secretly struggles with debilitating self-doubt. Soon these buried feelings begin to make Hannah physically sick and sprout into a ferocious growth on her body: The Appendage.

As Hannah’s health declines, The Appendage begins to fuel her anxieties – her perceived lack of talent at work, her deteriorating relationships with her boyfriend and best friend, and her parents’ lack of love and understanding. At her breaking point, Hannah makes a shocking discovery—there are others out there like her.

Check back soon for our interview with Appendage editor and producer Alex Familian.

Appendage is currently available to stream on Hulu.

Source: Screen Rant Plus