Director Jay Baruchel's Random Acts of Violence features a small, but impactful cast of recognizable talent—here's where you've seen the actors before.
Originally premiering at Fantastic Fest in 2019, Random Acts of Violence is based on the horror graphic novel of the same name from Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, which features art by Giancarlo Caracuzzo and Paul Mounts. Adopting classic slasher movie tropes which were popularized by movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th in the late 1970s and all throughout the 1980s, Random Acts of Violence tells a sharp, stylized story of writer Todd Walkley (Jesse Williams), who is known for his R-rated comic, Slasherman, which was based off a series of real murders committed by the I-90 Killer.
While the crimes in Random Acts of Violence are fictional, the barrier between reality and fantasy start to blend for Todd and his friends when they head out on a press tour to promote the final issue of Slasherman. Before long, they start to stumble upon grisly crime scenes that are ripped from the very pages of Todd's novel, and find themselves targeted by the Slasherman himself. Baruchel weaves commentary on the horror genre as well as society's ongoing fascination with true crime and violence in his movie, which is streaming exclusively on Shudder as of August 20th, 2020.
Jesse Williams As Todd Walkley
Jesse Williams stars as Todd Walkley, the creator of the Slasherman comics. Todd is caught in a conundrum as he struggles to find the perfect ending for his long-running series, which is worsened by aspects of his art—and his past—coming back to haunt him. Williams is most well-known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, where he has been a main cast member since 2009. No stranger to the horror scene, Williams was also in Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's 2012 The Cabin in the Woods as Holden McCrea. Williams also landed the recurring role of Joe Ryan in Hulu's miniseries, Little Fires Everywhere and was in 2019's remake of Jacob's Ladder as Isaac "Ike" Singer.
Jordana Brewster As Kathy
Jordana Brewster stars as Kathy, Todd's girlfriend who is working on an independent project related to the Slasherman comics and the I-90 Killer, but from a true crime aspect. Though somewhat at odds with her boyfriend about giving a voice to the victims in a way that could cause further scrutiny for his comics, she supports his artistic endeavors. Brewster is most well-known for her role as Mia Toretto, sister to Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) in the Fast and Furious franchise. She has also starred in several horror movies, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, and got her start in Robert Rodriguez's The Faculty (1998) as Delilah Profitt. Brewster has also spent time on the small screen, with prominent roles such as Denise Brown in The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and the TNT reboot of Dallas where she portrayed Elena Ramos.
Jay Baruchel As Ezra
Baruchel isn't only the director of Random Acts of Violence. In the movie, he plays Ezra, Todd's friend and publisher. Baruchel is primarily known for his comedy, as he's been a writer, stand up comedian, and actor since 1995. Some of his more prominent movie roles include Kevin Sandusky in Tropic Thunder, Jay in Knocked Up, Kirk Kettner in She's Out of My League, and as himself in The End of the World. He's also lent his voice talents to the character of Hiccup in the How To Train Your Dragon movies.
Niamh Wilson As Aurora
Niamh Wilson is most well-known to horror audiences for her recurring role as Corbett Denlon, the daughter of Jeff Denlon and Dr. Lynn Denlon in the Saw franchise. However, the Canadian actress has also had several roles since her childhood, most prominently as Jacqueline "Jack" Jones in seasons 13 and 14 of Degrassi: The Next Generation. Wilson also was in The Marsh, a 2006 Canadian horror movie starring Gabrielle Anwar and Forest Whitaker.