Pierce Brosnan & John Lee Talk Hulu's 'False Positive,' The Legacy Of James Bond & More [The Fourth Wall Podcast]

With his latest film, “False Positive,” director John Lee takes the always thrilling psychological horror genre, and he combines it with his signature dark comedy to construct a commentary on pregnancy and a woman’s right to her own bodily autonomy. Written by Lee, Ilana Glazer, and Alissa Nutting, “False Positive” stars Glazer as Lucy, who—along with her husband Adrian (Justin Theroux)—has been trying and failing to get pregnant. It’s only after they find the fertility doctor of their dreams, Dr. Hindle, that the couple achieves success, learning that they are going to have a baby girl. However, Lucy detects something sinister about the doctor, and in investigating it, unravels the truth about him and her pregnancy.

READ MORE: ‘False Positive’: Ilana Glazer Tackles The Birth Industrial Complex In Satirical Gaslighting Pregnancy Horror [Tribeca Review]

The character of Dr. Hindle, with his effortless charm that turns into something dark and mysterious, requires an actor who can play both sides; the charismatic hero but also the disturbed villain. In steps Pierce Brosnan, James Bond himself, to weave the character and his arc back and forth across that line. Brosnan is, of course, most famous for Bond and other dashing heroic roles. Still, his resume is also filled with ambiguous or fully antagonistic turns as well ranging from his antihero hitman in “The Matador” or corrupt bureaucrats in “The Tailor of Panama” and “The Foreigner.”

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“False Positive’s” straddling of tonal lines is also something that naturally fits into Lee’s sensibilities as a filmmaker. Having been a key creative voice behind shows such as “Wonder Showzen,” “Superjail!,” and “The Heart, She Holler,” Lee would often contrast pleasing aesthetics and upbeat tonalities with morbid, oftentimes grotesque, and controversial humor. Between that background and his conviction about not mincing words as a creator, it allows him to convincingly craft a horror vehicle with teeth while also strengthening the confronting messaging inherent in a film like “False Positive.”

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We spoke with Lee and Brosnan about “False Positive,” particularly regarding its social and political relevance in a world where so much emphasis is put on women having children but not providing them with a proper set of resources once they do get pregnant.

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“That was always part of the script,” said Lee. “If you’re not talking about politics, you’re not talking about birth and fertility.” Regarding his approach to the subject matter, Lee added, “the ultimate issue was the lack of support with healthcare, physical [and] mental. We live in a society [that has] created this lack of support for women and couples. ‘Mommy brain’ is not actual healthcare, [it’s] just a bandaid. It’s an insult to women, reducing them to not being individuals.”

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Despite this, both Lee and Brosnan made it clear that storytelling is the thing that first drives them as artists, including as a reason for making “False Positive.”

“Stories are what keep me going,” said Brosnan. “I’m not thinking of social issues; I’m thinking, ‘can I believe in this character and hang my heart on this script?’ It was an easy one to say yes to.” Lee added, “I think as you make things, you don’t make the decision politically, but when you look back at the things you’ve done, there might be a theme of what you’re attracted to, humanitarian things, comedic things, but that’s probably for other people to notice and not yourself.”

Of course, in between talking about “False Positive,” we had to sneak in at least one Bond question. It’s been nearly 20 years since Brosnan portrayed the iconic spy, and we were curious what differences there would be in his interpretation of the role today. “It’s a good question. He’s forever with me in one way or another,” said Brosnan, “and you have to make peace with that when you find work that will sort of dismantle that. I’m not sure how I would play him now.”

You can listen to the rest of our exciting conversation with Pierce Brosnan and John Lee below and check out A24’s “False Positive” when it hits Hulu on June 25th.

Follow along with all our 2021 Tribeca Film Festival coverage here.

Additional reporting by Brody Serravalli