How the Director of The Spy Who Dumped Me Made a Graphic, Funny, Feminist Action Film
In Susanna Fogel’s The Spy Who Dumped Me , men are drowned in fondu and household items are repurposed as weapons. The movie follows heartbroken Audrey (Mila Kunis) and her best friend, Morgan (Kate McKinnon), who go globetrotting after Audrey’s recent breakup — and it turns out that her ex, Drew (Justin Theroux), is a CIA spy on the run whose activities put Audrey in danger, forcing her to take on his final mission with Morgan at her side. But unlike many modern studio-funded action-comedies, Fogel’s isn’t just joking around: The film is surprisingly violent, with its action scenes including a significant amount of bloodshed from its villains and heroes alike. Vulture recently sat down with Fogel to talk about the movie’s shocking violent side, what sets its portrayal of female friendship apart from other contemporary female-led comedies — and why movies still rely on those old, lazy gender tropes. What made you go for that heightened level of...