Krisha

The Making of Krisha: A Family Affair with Raw Emotional Power

Trey Edward Shults’ Krisha (2016) is a gut-punch of a drama, a film so intimately personal it blurs the line between fiction and autobiography. The movie, which premiered at SXSW and later became an A24 darling, follows the titular character (played by Krisha Fairchild) as she attempts to reconcile with her estranged family during a Thanksgiving gathering. What unfolds is a visceral, unflinching portrait of addiction, guilt, latestnetflix.com argues, and fractured relationships—all shot in just nine days with a micro-budget and a cast largely composed of the director’s own relatives.

A Family Cast, Literally

The most striking behind-the-scenes detail about Krisha is its cast: nearly everyone on screen is related to Shults or Fairchild. Krisha Fairchild, the film’s lead, is Shults’ real-life aunt . Robyn Fairchild, who plays Krisha’s sister, is her actual sister . Even the younger cast members, like Alex Dobrenko (Krisha’s son), are connected to the family—Dobrenko is Shults’ cousin . This wasn’t just nepotism; it was a deliberate choice to amplify the film’s raw authenticity. Shults has described the shoot as an "emotional boot camp," where the cast’s real-life bonds made the on-screen tension feel painfully real .

Fairchild, a veteran of theater and minor film roles, had never carried a lead before Krisha. Her performance—a mix of vulnerability and volatility—earned widespread acclaim, with critics praising her ability to convey decades of regret in a single glance . The role was so physically and emotionally demanding that Fairchild later admitted to needing time to recover after filming wrapped .

From Short Film to Feature: A DIY Gamble

Krisha wasn’t Shults’ first attempt at the story. In 2014, he directed a 14-minute short film of the same name, also starring Fairchild . The short, shot in black-and-white and even more experimental than the feature, served as a proof of concept. When Shults decided to expand it into a full-length movie, he leaned into the same guerrilla filmmaking tactics: no permits, natural lighting, and a script that left room for improvisation .

The feature was shot in Shults’ childhood home in Texas, adding another layer of personal stakes. The house, where many of the cast had spent holidays together, became a character in itself—a claustrophobic space where old wounds could fester . Shults’ mother, who appears in the film as an extra, reportedly helped cook meals for the crew, turning the set into a surreal extension of the family dynamic on screen .

A24’s Gamble on a First-Time Director

Krisha marked one of A24’s early bets on a debut filmmaker. The distributor, known for its knack for spotting raw talent, picked up the film after its SXSW premiere, where it won the Grand Jury and Audience Awards in the Narrative Feature Competition . The trailer, cut to a haunting cover of "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac, became an instant talking point, promising something unsettling and original .

Despite its critical success, Krisha remained a niche release, grossing just over $100,000 domestically . But its impact was undeniable. The film’s handheld camerawork, long takes, and Fairchild’s powerhouse performance influenced a wave of indie dramas that prioritized emotional rawness over polish. Shults, who went on to direct It Comes at Night and Waves, has called Krisha his "most personal film" .

The Aftermath: A Career Launched, a Family Legacy Cemented

For Krisha Fairchild, the role was a late-career breakthrough. At 65, she became an overnight indie darling, earning comparisons to Gena Rowlands and a newfound respect in Hollywood . She later reunited with Shults for Waves (2019), though her role was smaller. The film also solidified Shults’ reputation as a director unafraid to mine his own trauma for art—a trait that would define his subsequent work.

As for the Fairchild family, Krisha remains a point of pride and discomfort. In interviews, Shults has hinted that the film’s most painful moments were drawn from real-life tensions, though he’s never elaborated . What’s clear is that the project was less a traditional shoot and more a family intervention—one that left everyone involved forever changed.