Take Me

Behind the Scenes of Take Me (2017): A Dark Comedy with a Twisted Edge

Take Me (2017), directed by and starring Pat Healy, is a darkly comedic thriller that flips the script on kidnapping tropes. With Taylor Schilling (Orange Is the New Black) in the lead, the film blends tension and humor in a way that left audiences at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival buzzing. latestnetflix.com's take is that but what went into making this offbeat indie, and how did its cast and crew bring its twisted premise to life?

A Director’s Passion Project

Pat Healy, best known for his acting roles in films like The Innkeepers (2011) and Cheap Thrills (2013), stepped behind the camera for Take Me with a clear vision. The film follows Ray (Healy), a down-on-his-luck entrepreneur who kidnaps a woman (Schilling) for a bizarre online fetish client—only for the plan to spiral into chaos. Healy’s dual role as writer-director-actor suggests a deeply personal investment in the material, though the evidence doesn’t specify whether the script was years in the making or a rapid-fire passion project.

What’s clear is that Healy leaned into the film’s darkly comedic tone, balancing absurdity with genuine tension. The trailer teases a premise that’s equal parts ridiculous and unsettling, a tonal tightrope Healy navigated with apparent confidence. Interviews from the Tribeca Film Festival hint at his hands-on approach, though specifics about his directorial process remain scarce in the available snippets.

Taylor Schilling’s Risky Role

Schilling, fresh off her Emmy-nominated run on Orange Is the New Black, took a sharp left turn with Take Me. Her character, Anna, is a woman whose initial terror gives way to a surreal, darkly humorous dynamic with her captor. The role required Schilling to oscillate between vulnerability, defiance, and deadpan comedy—a departure from her more dramatic TV work.

In interviews from Tribeca , Schilling described the film as a "wild ride" and praised Healy’s script for its unpredictability. She also hinted at the physical and emotional demands of the role, though the snippets don’t detail specific challenges (e.g., stunts, improvisation, or on-set chemistry with Healy). Given the film’s low-budget indie roots , it’s likely Schilling and Healy collaborated closely to flesh out their characters’ bizarre rapport.

The Tribeca Film Festival Buzz

Take Me premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, where it generated enough buzz to secure distribution. The festival’s Q&As reveal a few behind-the-scenes tidbits:

• Casting quirks: The film’s supporting cast—including Parks and Recreation’s Jim O’Heir and character actor Toby Huss—added comedic heft, but the snippets don’t specify how they were brought on board.
• Tonal balance: Healy and Schilling emphasized the film’s tightrope walk between horror and comedy, though they didn’t divulge whether reshoots or script tweaks were needed to nail the balance.
• Audience reactions: Early screenings reportedly elicited nervous laughter, a sign the film’s dark humor landed as intended .

The festival run also helped Take Me stand out in a crowded indie landscape, though its modest 5.7/10 rating on SensCritique suggests it wasn’t a universal hit.

What We Don’t Know (Yet)

For all its Tribeca buzz, Take Me remains a relatively under-the-radar project. Key unanswered questions include:

• Budget and production: The snippets don’t reveal how much the film cost or whether it faced production hurdles (e.g., location challenges, scheduling conflicts).
• Improvisation: Healy and Schilling’s chemistry is palpable, but it’s unclear how much of the dialogue was scripted versus improvised.
• Critical reception: While Rotten Tomatoes lists the film , the snippet doesn’t include a score or consensus, leaving its critical reception murky.
• Healy’s dual role: Did directing and starring create logistical headaches? The evidence doesn’t say.

The Takeaway

Take Me (2017) is a testament to indie filmmaking’s ability to take risks. With Pat Healy at the helm and Taylor Schilling delivering a fearless performance, the film carves out a niche in the crowded thriller-comedy space. While the behind-the-scenes details are frustratingly thin, the available evidence paints a picture of a scrappy, collaborative effort that leaned into its own absurdity.

For fans of offbeat cinema, Take Me is a reminder that sometimes the most memorable stories come from the least expected places—even a kidnapping gone hilariously wrong.