©Courtesy of Lionsgate

Some of the even most well-meaning saviors can eventually make life-altering choices that affect everyone they care about as they dole out their own personal form of vigilante justice. Those extreme decisions ultimately embrace their dark side, even if they initially have well intentions. Actor Dylan Flashner’s complex anti-hero of Eli in the new thriller, Like Father Like Son, is beginning to follow in his father’s example of protecting the innocent people in their lives, much to his disappointment – as they both realize that their version of vigilante justice also leaves harrowing consequences on everyone they know.

Barry Jay wrote and directed the film. Besides Flashner, Like Father Like Son also stars Ariel Winter, Vivica A. Fox, Jim Klock, Prima Apollinaare, Eric Michael Cole, Mayim Bialik and Dermot Mulroney. Klock was also a producer, while Winter and Bialik served as executive producers, on the drama.

In Like Father Like Son Eli’s father, Gabe (Mulroney), waits on death row for the crime of murder in the first degree. As Eli’s life begins to fall apart, he discovers similar terrifying triggers in himself. With the help of his new girlfriend, Hayley (Winter), and a fresh start from his new boss Louise (Fox), Eli takes extreme measures to ensure that his family’s string of savagery comes to an end.

Lionsgate will distribute Like Father Like Son in theaters and On Demand and Digital on January 31, 2025. To help promote the movie’s release, Jay and Flashner generously took the time recently to talk about penning, helming and starring in the feature during an exclusive interview over Zoom.

©Courtesy of Lionsgate

Q: Barry, you wrote the script for the new thriller, Like Father Like Son. What was the inspiration in scribing the screenplay, and what was the process like of crafting the story for the film?

Barry Jay: Well, I forget how it happened, but somehow, I fell into that black hole of serial killer documentaries. I don’t know where it came from, but it started and I got really into it.

Obviously, writing horror, I’m fascinated with the mindset of a killer. Then I started doing some research. You know how you do something like your parents and you don’t even realize it at first? But then you think, I’m eating like my dad.

I’m curious about where that come from; where we do we get that gene that we’re just like them? I just thought, I wonder if it could be hereditary?

We’ve all heard about the stories of abuse. So there’s got to be something more. Why does somebody snap?

So I talked to Mayim Bialik, who’s a friend of mine and a neuroscientist. She confirmed that there is a possibility that it could be hereditary. She also plays a psychiatrist in the film who explains that to Eli in the movie.

Then I heard that there was a father on death row with an infant at home. Once the father was put to death and the infant grew up, he became a serial killer. To me, that sealed the deal; I was like, I have to write this. I’m definitely getting called to this exploration.

Q: Dylan, you play Eli in Like Father Like Son. What were the characteristics in the character and the overall story that drew you to take on the role?

Dylan Flashner: You know, it’s funny; I got sent the script from Barry about maybe three or four months before we shot the film. I connected with this character right away. We have a lot of commonalities – other than the serial killing, of course.

He was just one of those characters who you just fell in love with the second that you read it on the page. I wanted to be a part of this kind of thing as soon as I read it.

So for me, it was just about, how could I get involved? How could I be a part of this movie? Barry was just so nice to give me the opportunity to play Eli.

Q: Dylan, once you signed on to star in Like Father, Like Son, what kind of research did you do while you were preparing for the role?

Dylan Flashner: I did a lot of research on serial killers and their tendencies. I also did a lot of research on serial killers who were played in pop culture before. I was reading anything that I could kind of get a hold at the library.

So it was just one of those things where there’s almost so much information, it’s hard to grasp where to start to pull from.

But Ted Bundy and those kinds of guys were always interesting to me. So that was also kind of where I got the inspiration from.

Q: Barry, as the writer, what was your specific preparation process like as you were developing the story?

Barry Jay: It really is a gift to direct because you really get to see a vision through.

There were a lot of processes to it, including watching a lot of movies. I didn’t go to film school, but Tarantino movies served as my film school.

Before filming, I also watched Taxi Driver and Pulp Fiction more times than anyone should. (Jay laughs.) But I loved watching them over and over!

I also did a lot of research on serial killer films. There were a couple that came out that really stood out. There was one with Zac Efron (Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile) in which he played Ted Bundy that I found fascinating.

What I find fascinating about it, and how I also developed Eli, is that there’s a double life. It’s not like they go back home and spend all their time sharpening their knives in their dark, crappy apartment alone; some of these killers I researched are going home to families, and their family thinks they’re the greatest dad.

I also watched Monster with Charlize Theron, which I had never seen until I fell into the serial killer genre. I didn’t even know it was a serial killer movie until I somebody told me it was and I should watch it. I now see why she got the Oscar! So that was also helpful because you get to see all aspects of the character.

I wanted Eli to have heart, and not just come out of nowhere. I wanted things to mount until he snaps because there is his father in him.

Dylan’s being very modest. When I saw his reel, I was like, “This is him. I’ve got to have him.” The producer sent me the reel, and I said, “Please get him booked for me.” (Jay laughs.) So it was really just such a gift to get Dylan.

The two of us then went through the scrip page by page after he signed on. We talked about Eli and made little motivational changes and the way he would say things.

That really helped to grow the character. I laid the foundation in the script, but you have to be open to it becoming what it’s supposed to be.

©Courtesy of Lionsgate

Q: Besides penning the script, you also directed the drama, Barry. How did you approach helming the movie throughout the production?

Barry Jay: Well, it was a nerve-wracking process! Honestly, everyone has so much more experience than me.

So there was a bit of me thinking, I’m a rookie on a very seasoned team. But everyone was so nice and helpful. I’m a true believer in if you surround yourself with people with more experience, you have to level up and work harder and be even more on your game. So I appreciated having this opportunity.

I had a great DP (Director of Photography) in Mac Fisken. He was incredible to work with, as he was able to get me what I envisioned for the film. He was also able to give me ideas of what it could be. There was so much teamwork.

Q: Much of the story is driven by the relationships between the characters. How did you work together to build the connections between the characters?

Barry Jay: Well, I was actually going through the script with Dylan on FaceTime one day, and he said, “I think they’re talking about Ariel Winter.” I was like, “What?” (Jay laughs.) I’m a huge Modern Family fan. I also saw her in Burt Reynolds’ last film (the 2017 comedy-drama, The Last Movie Star).

So I thought, this is Hayley. I hope they make this solid because she’s now my favorite choice; I don’t want anyone else. I get like that; once I get hooked like that, I’m done.

The casting really was our producer, Luke Daniels. He’s one of those really seasoned people who’s done a ton of movies. He called me and said, “Well, we got Dermot Mulroney.”

This is really funny; he apologized because he got him before calling me to say, “Do you think he’s good?” I’m like, “You never apologize for getting Dermot Mulroney; Dermot Mulroney is huge! Oh my God, Luke, you got Dermot Mulroney!”

So yes, I’m a huge fan of his work, including The Trigger Effect, Copycat, Scream 6. So for me to to be in that lineup of Dermot’s movies is amazing.

I know a lot of people are also like, My Best Friend’s Wedding! I watched it only because we got him; I’d actually never seen it before. It was cute. But he was more in the Scream 6 element for this movie.

So it was a great process; the whole process was exciting to me. Vivica A. Fox and so many other great actors gave themselves to these roles, including Dylan and Dermot.

Dermott freaked me out, as he was just super creepy in his role. He was just so into the double life of his character, who had been just a guy working in a park. He didn’t think he was going to do that that day. Then it all happens and life changes, and then Eli follows in that path.

So that’s what’s fascinating to me. They really brought the characters to life, and that’s required.

Q: Once all of the actors were cast, how did you all work together, as the filmmakers and actors, to build the characters?

Dylan Flashner: It sounds cliché, but it was a really great experience to build a relationship with everybody. You look around the room and everyone had about 20 years’ experience. It was just one of those things where you get people with that much experience together, and there’s no doubt that you’re going to make a nice product.

I think the humility of everybody on set was really heartwarming to me. I’m fairly new to this, and I was in a position that I needed a lot of people to help me out. Everyone was so giving and so helpful that it just made my life a lot easier. So overall, it was a great experience.

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