Cosmic Bad Decisions: Olivia Taylor Dudley on Trauma, Tentacles, and TOUCH ME (Video & Text)

Trauma does a number on a person—and the absurdist psychosexual horror-comedy Touch Me, opening next week (Available exclusively in New York on March 20th, limited in Theatres on March 27th, and On Demand and On Digital April 7th), dives into that damage with surprising clarity and bite. The film follows a pair of trauma-bonded besties: Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley), beautiful, volatile, and shaped by a childhood spent in the foster care system, and Craig (Jordan Gavaris), her gay trust-fund platonic benefactor and emotional safety net. When Craig’s toilet quite literally explodes, fumigating his pristine home, the duo are forced into an uneasy weekend stay with Joey’s ex, Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci), who has mysteriously reappeared after five years off the grid.

Brian presents as a hyper-wealthy, tracksuit-clad oddball with a love of hip-hop dance—but beneath that glossy, chaotic surface lurks something far stranger: a sex-crazed, tentacled alien entity whose opioid-like touch can numb anxiety and soothe the mind. What unfolds is equal parts therapy session, fever dream, and cosmic bad decision.

I had the chance to speak with one of the film’s stars, Olivia Taylor Dudley, who’s no stranger to the genre space. From the fantastical on The Magicians to the supernatural terror of Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, Dudley has carved out a distinct lane in genre storytelling. No matter how outlandish the world, she grounds her characters with a raw, emotional authenticity. It was a pleasure chatting with her about her love of genre—and how she finds the human core inside even the most unique material.

First off, congrats on the film, Touch Me. It was funny—when your rep reached out to me, I thought, wait a minute, I know her. I realized I’d reviewed three or so of your films over the last couple of years. I didn’t even realize that pattern was there until then. So what originally got you into acting? When did you know the bug had bitten you, so to speak?

Olivia Taylor Dudley:I always say the first time I even registered what acting was, I was five years old and snuck in to watch The Exorcist while my dad had it on. I sat behind the couch watching it. I was so floored by what she was doing in that movie. 

I remember thinking, “Wait, this isn’t real? What do you mean that little girl isn’t actually possessed?” And then I thought, well, I want to do that. I had such a vivid imagination as a kid, so it clicked really early. Honestly, I always wanted to be an actor. There was never really anything else I wanted to do. So yeah—The Exorcist.
That actually leads perfectly into my next question. A lot of your work lives in the genre space—sci-fi, horror, surreal indie projects. What draws you to films that operate a little outside the mainstream lane?

Olivia Taylor Dudley:I think horror and sci-fi are such great vehicles because you can bring any message you want and hide it inside those genres. Audiences love going to horror movies, so you can explore deeper ideas through that lens.

For example, Touch Me is really about mental health and addiction, but it’s masked inside this sci-fi horror framework. That’s what I love about it—you can get really interesting characters and ideas, and audiences will still show up for the ride.

I love drama as much as the next actor, but in genre films you can get more creative visually and in how you present the story. It’s just such a fun space to work in. I especially love horror-comedy because I love doing comedy. This movie is such a great blend of horror, comedy, and really grounded human experiences.

And honestly, I’m a huge horror fan myself. I love watching horror movies, so getting to work in that space is kind of a dream. Horror has also been so elevated and respected in the industry over the years, and it’s exciting to be part of that.

Before we dive into Touch Me, I wanted to ask about another film of yours that I loved—Abigail Before Beatrice. I reviewed it out of the Chattanooga Film Festival, and I really appreciated the empathy it had for people who fall into cults, while just looking for something to believe in. When dealing with a topic as loaded as cults, what inspired your take on the survivor?

Olivia Taylor Dudley:I’m so proud of that film and that character. I think I’ve had my own experiences with cult-like situations in life—similar to Touch Me in terms of codependent relationships. Following someone else’s beliefs, getting lost in them, and not really knowing who you are outside of that dynamic.

That script portrayed that experience so beautifully. I went really deep with that character, and I absolutely loved playing her. I definitely lost myself a little bit while filming—it was really intense. Every scene in that movie is heavy in some way.

But I’m so happy it’s been well received, and I can’t wait for more audiences to see it outside the festival circuit. It’s a really beautiful story, even though it’s a sad one.

I was lucky enough to catch Touch Me at Sundance last year before the buzz really kicked in. What was it like reading that script for the first time?

Olivia Taylor Dudley:A friend of mine who’s one of the producers called me and said, “I know you’re about to leave to shoot another movie, but can you read this script today and meet with the filmmaker if you love it?”

I read it immediately, and I was laughing out loud through the monologue and throughout the script—which is rare when you’re reading something. That felt like a good sign that the writer really knew what he was doing.

Then there were all these details that cracked me up—the tracksuits, the breakdancing, just the overall voice of the script. It felt so unique. I knew I had to meet Addison, the director.

So I met with him right after finishing the script and we talked for hours about the film. I had never read anything like it before, and I’d never shot anything like it. Honestly, I was in by page two.

The film pushes into some wild tonal territory—body horror, dark comedy, relationship drama, break dancing. On set, did it feel like you were making a horror movie, a comedy, or something else entirely?

Olivia Taylor Dudley:Honestly, all of the above. It really had its own tone. We didn’t spend a lot of time labeling it—we just trusted the material.

Every day on set was fun, even though some scenes deal with very heavy material. Addison created such a safe space to talk about things like sexual trauma and relationship trauma. But we were also really focused on landing the comedy and horror.

Since it was an indie film, we had to shoot quickly—about 20 days—so every day was a bit of a whirlwind.

Twenty days? And you’re going from breakdancing to being locked in a cage.

Olivia Taylor Dudley: Exactly. And Lou, who plays Brian the alien, had to learn breakdancing beforehand. He’d never danced before. He trained for weeks.

What’s funny is that I’m actually a dancer—I grew up dancing—and I’m the only one in the movie who doesn’t dance.

Aside from the more transgressive elements, Touch Mehas a lot to say about codependent and toxic relationships—the allure of them, but also the darker side. Did you draw from personal experiences for this role?

Olivia Taylor Dudley: Definitely. Addison was very collaborative, and he encouraged me to bring in some of my own experiences with codependent relationships and trauma. Not everything in the film reflects my life, of course, but there are emotional truths I could draw from.

It was actually very cathartic. My hope is that audiences might reflect on their own experiences and feel seen.

At the end of the day, everyone just wants to feel loved—whether it’s in a romantic relationship or a friendship. People want to feel seen. These characters aren’t getting that, so they’ll go to extreme lengths just to feel something. That’s a pretty universal experience.

When you’re working on something as fantastical as Touch Me, how do you keep the character grounded emotionally—even when she’s dealing with something like a tentacle monster?

Olivia Taylor Dudley:I think Joey is actually very similar to me at her core. The circumstances may be different, but emotionally I can relate to her.

For me, humor is one of the best ways to deal with dark things. I’m someone who can cry easily, but I’m also always ready to make someone laugh. Joey lives in that same space.

And honestly, Addison’s script did a lot of the work. The dialogue felt incredibly real and lived-in. My job was just to hold onto the emotional through-line while everything else around it got ridiculous.

Finally—what’s next for you?

Olivia Taylor Dudley: I’m developing a few projects right now that I’ll be starring in and producing. I’m also developing one that I’d like to direct. So I’m in a development phase at the moment, but hopefully I’ll be able to talk about those projects soon.