Cults take center stage in Hulu’s new TV series, The Clearing. Based on the crime thriller In the Clearing by novelist J. P. Pomare and inspired by real-life cults in Australia and around the world, the psychological thriller follows Freya [Teresa Palmer], a cult survivor haunted by her past. She was a member of the Kindred, a sect determined to twist the hearts and minds of children.

Now, as an adult and single mother, Freya lives in a secluded home in the woods. She keeps a vigilant eye on her young son. But when a cult group kidnaps an eight-year-old named Sara, painful memories from Freya’s childhood begin to surface. Soon enough, Freya comes to realize that the trauma connected to the cult and its icy, imposing matriarch, Adrienne [Miranda Otto], still runs deep. Palmer and Otto recently spoke to CBR about their work on the show, the allure of cults, traumatic baggage, embodying a leader, and the new Fall Guy feature film.

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CBR: Why do you feel there is a natural fascination with cults?

Miranda Otto: Because it takes something really pure and turns it into something else. It takes people’s natural instinct to try and better themselves and create community and take a path through life and something to hold onto. It takes you so far from that into something dark. We look at these things thinking, “It could be me.” How do you avoid that? How do you have your antenna up and see where this could be taking you?

The Clearing is inspired by real-life cults. What does that add to the gravitas of the show?

Otto: This show is based on the book In the Clearing. That is a work of fiction. This is very much a work of fiction. Once you make the television show, you are removing it again slightly because it is different than the book. When we approached it, we really approached it very much from the script, our imaginations, and then research that we had done on a whole lot of different cults. I guess there is that weight of thinking about the people in various cults, what they’ve been through, and the weight of that.

Teresa, in your deep dive, what surprised you the most about cults?

Teresa Palmer: That it’s not reserved just for the down and out. It’s not reserved for people in a midlife crisis. It can be anyone who has some sort of yearning to get to know themselves better and do spiritual work. You see how popular self-help books are right now. There is a longing for each of us to be the best version of ourselves. I can understand how you can find this community of like-minded people. You are like, “Wow, this is like a utopia. This feels so great.” It’s so gradual how the cycle of abuse comes into play. You are already so deeply ingrained in this world that the idea of getting out of it feels overwhelming. That, to me, is the most fascinating aspect. A lot of people can watch from an outside perspective and be like, “That wouldn’t happen to me because of A, B, and C.” But I think that narrative is wrong. It is definitely accessible to all of us. I understand how it happens.

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Miranda, a lot of cult leaders are depicted as over-the-top fanatics. That’s definitely not your character. What did you want to bring to Adrienne?

Otto: I felt like she was impenetrable. Adrienne was someone who had constructed herself. In some ways, on some other strange level, she is like the CEO of this empire. She is a very powerful woman who has made herself and put herself together. But the things she is doing to the people within her group are not good. If she was a better, more fully-realized human being, perhaps she could create a lot of good in the world. Unfortunately, she has her own demons. Her perspectives on mothering and family are very warped.

Adrienne has an interesting dichotomy. In public, she’s killing people with kindness. Behind the scenes, she is ready to snap.

Otto: Yeah, she is very much dishing out the dirty work to people within her structure so that she can be seen as a Madonna figure. She keeps herself clean of all these things and seems to be in touch with some kind of higher power.

Teresa, your character deals with a lot of personal demons, as well. How has her past continued to haunt her in the present day?

Palmer: Freya had an incredibly traumatic upbringing. She has had absolutely no secure attachment to a pivotal caretaker, which is what we all need. We all need to have a secure attachment — hopefully, an adult — in our lives. That, of course, manifests in every aspect — in her romantic relationships, in her interactions with very normal people like a school teacher or the mother of my son’s friend. Even that is triggering for her in so many ways. She is such a survivor, and I think she is just trying her best to keep her head above water. She’s also not had the bandwidth to really get in and do the self-work to unpack all the trauma. However, in the series, when we meet her, the abduction of a child makes it so she is forced to face the demons. As the show unravels, she gets further and further into that work. It is harrowing and very confronting. Ultimately, this is a redemption story.

How unhealthy is the relationship between these two characters?

Palmer: Very unhealthy.

Otto: This is not a healthy relationship at all. There is some semblance. Underneath it, you think, “Maybe if this person wasn’t so messed up and if this hadn’t happened, maybe there is some kind of love there.” But everything is so conditional and transactional.

Palmer: It’s interesting because even though my character has this really warped attachment to Adrienne, she still goes to her when she is having problems. When she is dealing with something heavy, she still turns to her. I think it’s that classic case of Stockholm Syndrome, as well. Another thing that is looked at throughout the series is how the abuser has their hold on these victims. It’s so complex and nuanced. What I loved about it is [that] it’s not black and white. It’s so many colors, and who am I to judge the choices these characters make? Once you are in it and you are in the fabric of it, it makes more sense why my character is still involved with Adrienne. She’s a cunning, manipulative woman. She has me in her little box. My wings are clipped in so many ways.

Lastly, Teresa, many viewers grew up with The Fall Guy TV series in the ’80s. In what way is director David Leitch raising the bar in terms of action? And how was it keeping up with Ryan Gosling, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Emily Blunt?

Palmer: Oh my gosh. I had the best time on that movie. I cannot stress enough about how fun it is going to be. David Leitch is the king of action. There is also so much comedy in there. Ryan Gosling is a natural comedian, so he’s throwing in things left, right, and center and adlibbing. It was such a fun environment where everything was elevated. It was the biggest movie I have been a part of in terms of budget, scale, and fight sequences. It was such a joyful experience. And what a nice break to go from The Clearing and this dark, harrowing headspace to this action/comedy. I think fans of the Fall Guy will be really excited by this interpretation of the story.

The Clearing Premieres Wednesday, May 24, on Hulu.

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