If you’ve ever wondered what The Bear might look like if it were set in a haunted restaurant, has Ariana DeBose got the movie for you…

Just in time for the Halloween season, filmmakers Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy (Blow The Man Down) are serving up House Of Spoils, a wickedly delicious meal of a horror movie centered on DeBose’s ambitious young culinary artist referred to only as “Chef.”

After leaving her cushy gourmet job in the city, our intrepid chef partners with a restaurateur (Succession‘s Arian Moayed) to create a unique dining experience in a gorgeous old home in remote upstate New York. Already overwhelmed by the need to devise a new menu and train her inexperienced sous chef (Euphoria‘s Barbie Ferreira), things get worse when food begins rotting rapidly and it becomes increasingly clear there’s something… spiritual… going on in this kitchen.

DeBose is clearly having a blast sinking her teeth into the juicy part, especially as her chef gives into the witchy supernatural powers at play. The chameleonic multi-hyphenate has already proven herself in everything from musicals to dramas to Disney family fare, but an out-and-out horror feels like exciting new territory for her.

Of course, that might be because Ariana DeBose is no horror buff—though she’s a fan of “spooky vibes,” she’ll be the first to tell you she’s a totally “‘fraidy-cat.” Still, that made the challenge of House Of Spoils all the more exciting for the Oscar-winning star, who was eager to throw on her chef’s coat and get cooking for this freaky new role.

With House Of Spoils now streaming on Prime Video, Queerty was thrilled to grab some time to gab with DeBose, learning what compelled her most about playing this no-named chef, and where queer audiences might find themselves in this culinary creep-fest. Plus, we had to get to the bottom of her long-standing fear of the horror genre, asking which movies—and which Halloween costumes—freaked her out as a kid.

You can watch our conversation with Ariana DeBose in the video above, or read it in full below.

I love that your character very much feels like someone real, someone we might know, but the movie is very deliberate in what it does and doesn’t reveal about her. For instance: she’s just referred to as Chef! —she doesn’t even have a name! What does that choice mean to you? Does the fact that she’s just known as “chef” influence your performance?

Oh, I loved it! In fact, that was one of the first things that jumped out at me when I read the the script, because immediately I was like, “Oh, she’s referred to by no other name but chef?” That says a lot! How many times, or many women—how many people in general—have felt literally defined by their work only, you know? There’s no work-life balance because there’s just work. So, knowing that sort of was an all-encompassing identity was a really great jumping off point, especially as you watch this woman go on a very ambitious journey of trying to open her own restaurant, and be the top dog, and discover her own leadership style.

And of course she does have her own methods she’s trying out—

I think she thinks she does! And, again, I thought that journey was fascinating—subtly, at times, digging into “Oh, maybe that’s a toxic trait I picked up along the way?,” and “Maybe that’s actually not helpful—it might be hurtful!” You know? So what’s the solution? And this is a genre-bending thriller-horror film that has some beautiful art within it, but also asks you to consider some things about yourself, which is cool.

On that note, I think certain ambiguities certainly leave the door open for audiences to read queerness or queer metaphor into this story, if they so choose, and I’m wondering what you think of that: Do you see this movie as one that could have a special resonance for the queer community?

I definitely think it can. I think each audience member will see something different in it from their perspective. But I, being who I am, my humanity—I am a very proud out Afro-Latin woman, right? I’ve never hid that. And I thought: What an interesting journey to go on the ride with someone who doesn’t necessarily lead with their sexuality. It may be implied, right? It may be an energy that she’s bringing to it, but it’s not the first thing that walks in with her necessarily—her humanity does, her love for her work.

And I do think, as we move forward as a community, I hope that we’re working towards a day where we don’t necessarily have to come out about this part of our humanity. It’s a part that we should be proud of, but we are whole humans. So I took that tactic with her, and I never felt the need to to push it in one direction or another. I think her energy says enough.

And I liked that I was able to explore her masculinity—both the positive and the toxic traits of her masculinity—and then, hopefully, I will have done my job well, and you can feel how those sharper edges start to round. And she does lean into her wild feminine, but she’s doing it her way, if that makes sense. Because there’s no one way to be human, right? That’s what I was attempting to explore with the character.

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That’s something that comes up all the time in covering queer media: Like, do these labels ever matter? In some ways, absolutely, but in others, not at all—these are human stories that often anyone can relate to, regardless of how they identify.

I do think you have a point, though! And I do think that our queer siblings can probably relate and see themselves in this character and her journey. But I will be very transparent in saying I don’t believe it was the whole purpose of this person’s story, if that makes sense.

Shifting gears a bit: As an actor, we really have seen you do it all in terms of genre, and it’s so fun to see you in a horror, but I’m curious what your own history is with the genre? Are you a horror fan?

I mean, I respect the genre, but I am a historical ‘fraidy-cat. I like spooky vibes—I am not afraid of the dark or the occult. As a viewer, I love movies like The Pelican Brief, or Constantine, or The Skeleton Key—that might be the darkest that I get? Like, I’ll go for American Horror Story: Coven, you know? But I get nervous when you’re like, “Yo Freddy Krueger!” That’s probably not gonna be my jam.

But I respect it as a genre. I do think that it allows you to process things, and your entrance point might be fear, and that’s okay! And that’s kind of interesting and cool, like some people do like to feel that sensation of being scared. I have a theory that it might be a sensation that allows them to start to process some bigger ideas. Again, that’s just a theory, I could be wrong. [Laughs.]

No, I agree with you there! I’m curious if there’s a film you can remember from childhood or growing up that—whether it was a horror or not—felt traumatizing to you, or that you were really freaked out by?

Yes! I did not do well with The Bone Collector—did not do well with that. Oh, I was not okay! I mean, Miss Jolie was wonderful in the film, but I was not good with Señor Denzel in that bed like that, and then all the stuff that happens at the end with the heater thing, the boiler thing that happened… Oh no! [Laughs.] I had nightmares. I was not okay. I was like, “Ah! This is not appropriate viewing; this has gotta stop! Jesus!”

And, honestly, it was cruel of me to ask, because now I’m making you revisit the memories—

How dare you!? I’m sweating! [Laughs.]

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Okay, how about a different memory then that’s maybe more fun—especially as we’re getting into Halloween season: I feel like everybody has that childhood Halloween costume that they’re still super proud of to this day. Is there one that stands out for you? Or maybe you’re not proud of it, but it stands out…

I mean, I don’t know what this says about me, but I went through the Disney princesses as a kid-kid—it was an easy access point. And I think I was a scarecrow at one point. Like, I had really good overalls. So that was, benign, but good.

And that tracks for you because it’s not necessarily scary but, you know, classic!

I believe in the classics! I did—oh god, this is so bad, and I preface this with, like, I was not in a good headspace at the time; this was probably about seven years ago. I did show up to a party in, like, rehearsal clothes, to a Halloween party, and they’re like, “Who are you?” I was like, “I’m a dancer; I’m myself!” I would never show up to my a party as myself today because that’s just, like, weird and kind of rude and egotistical AF. I would actually try to make a costume—why am I talking about this? Next question, please! [Laughs.]

No, I walked you into this! [Laughs.] But we’ve all been there—it’s okay. Dark phases in our lives, right?

Oh yeah.

Well, I have to wrap there, but—

Oh no, don’t you have one more question? [Laughs.]

Oh there is so much more we could talk about, but I’m so grateful for your time. Truly, thank you for your openness and taking a trip down memory lane with me.

It was so much fun! Thank you for chatting with me. And I hope you all watch House Of Spoils!

House Of Spoils is now streaming exclusively via Amazon Prime Video. Check out a preview clip below:

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