Joe Carnahan and Frank Grillo Discuss Their ‘80s Action Throwback ‘Boss Level’

Good things come to those who wait, and no one knows this better than filmmaker Joe Carnahan and his producing partner/muse Frank Grillo. After 10 years, logistical nightmares (their original 43 day long shooting schedule was cut down to 27 days at the last minute), and a freaking pandemic, their time-loop, ’80s inspired, action thriller Boss Level starts streaming on Hulu today, Friday, March 5.

Grillo plays Roy Pulver, an ex-Delta Force special operative who is stuck living the same day over and over; a day when a dozen colorful, crazy and highly-skilled assassins are out to kill him (and kill him they do, in many creative ways). He doesn’t know why this is happening, but he thinks it might have something to do with his scientist girlfriend/mother of his son Jemma (Naomi Watts) and her evil boss Colonel Clive Ventor (Mel Gibson). As he pieces things together, he takes advantage of the mysterious time loop he is stuck in and tidies up his life, abandoning his hard-drinking ways and bonding with his son, Joe (Rio Grillo).

Movies as mind-bending, action-packed, hilarious and shockingly heartfelt as Boss Level don’t come along every day, which is why Carnahan and Grillo have formed their own production company, War Party. They want to ensure that high-quality, moderately-budgeted genre filmmaking still has a place in the noisy Hollywood landscape. We got to spend 8 glorious minutes with the creative duo to talk about the film’s ’80s inspiration, the current streaming landscape, and the film’s breakout star, Rio Grillo.

Decider: “Time Loop” has officially become a new genre so I’m not surprised genre experts like yourselves have finally made a film in this mode. Are the ’80s aesthetic and the video game vibe just some of the many things that drew you to the script?

Joe Carnahan: Yeah, you know, it’s funny, when I started to rewrite the Borey Brothers’ dynamite script, which was called Continue at the time, I wanted to do this kind of love letter to those classic movies— films by Zemeckis, Spielberg, Donner, the Lethal Weapon films, and all those great ’80s kind of action movies. It all naturally wove itself into the fabric of this film. I also remember playing video games like Robotron 2084 when I was a kid. The idea of being surrounded by all these super killers really appealed and the incorporation of ’80s homages came naturally the further we went. It became a very organic process.

Yes, this is an action movie, yes, this is a sci-fi thriller, yes this is a comedy. But Boss Level is also a father-son story. Was it a challenge to blend all these genres and tones together?

Carnahan: I think that was honestly the scariest of all the challenges that we faced, especially when we had 15 days cut out of our budget and off our schedule. Frank and I had an unbelievable amount of rigmarole to deal with to make this movie happen, but the most difficult thing was that father-son story. I felt that having Rio Grillo, Frank’s actual son, playing his son in the film would be pretty powerful.

Also, we didn’t have time to have Frank do chemistry stuff with a young kid actor. I don’t believe you’d have seen the same kind of connective tissue that those Roy/Joe moments provide. They shift the movie in this really profoundly wonderful way. Now, I wasn’t confident that that gear change could work, but it did. That’s a testament to Frank’s talent and versatility. He switched mind sets with great aplomb and dexterity. That’s not easy. Not a lot of people in giant action films would have been capable of that, but I think it comes off seamlessly.

Frank, which co-star was most intimidating to work opposite: Mel Gibson or your son, Rio Grillo?

Frank Grillo: Rio, Rio, Rio, because Mel Gibson understood me and he could help me and Rio just abused me [laughs]. This kid would walk ahead of me. He would upstage me! Joe would throw lines at him. I would say, “Hey buddy, what Joe’s trying to tell you,” and he’d interrupt me and say, “Hey Dad, let me have my relationship with the director, please, by myself.” Joe created a monster for me, and I’m dealing with that now. But it was a beautiful, beautiful experience. I’m glad I listened to Joe and let my son do the role.

I was surprised to learn that Joe was actually the one pushing for this shining new star!

Grillo: Oh, you have no idea. I resisted. I made Rio go through the whole process. He auditioned, I think he might have auditioned twice and then I sent him to a really good acting coach. She was like, this kid’s great. I don’t need to do anything. So again, Carnahan is right. When I gotta tell him he’s right, a little piece of me dies, but the film’s better for it.

I saw on your Instagram that you did a screen-test for this movie 10 years ago. Was this project meant to follow up your first collaboration, The Grey?

Carnahan: It probably would have, had we had our day in court. We just ultimately couldn’t get it made back then because of the way that this business is structured. We were struggling to try to get it to the place where we could make the movie that ultimately Boss Level wanted to be. So listen, it took 10 years, I am proud of the movie, and it was worth it. It was worth all the sweat.

Grillo: I wasn’t the actor then that could have been Roy Pulver today. It’s so funny that when you think at times that life’s working against you, you find out that things turn out for the best because I’ve grown as a man and as an actor, and Joe’s grown as a director. This film would not have been what we presented 10 years ago, and the movie gods, I think we’re looking out for us. As troublesome a journey as it’s been, it was well worth every step of it.

Carnahan: I agree.

I know you made this movie for audiences to see on the big screen. What is it about Hulu that made it the best home for Boss Level?

Carnahan: This paradigm shift was always going to happen. I think the pandemic has obviously hastened this new kind of streaming dynamic that we’re witnessing, but I think platforms like Hulu were always going to expand their horizons. Today, these streaming services are hugely powerful and far reaching and influential. There’s nothing wrong with that. It allows for people to be exposed to a lot of films and a lot of filmmakers and different types of work that they normally wouldn’t. So I welcome it.

With home entertainment centers, you know, you don’t lose all that much. I watched Wonder Woman 1984 with my daughters on a big 85 inch screen with a Sonos arc and it was as good as [in theaters] and without the idiot a row up texting. This has been a long time coming, and I welcome it. Boss Level will now be seen by millions and millions more people that normally would not have had that kind of access. So, I think it’s dynamite.

My time’s almost up! All the assassins (Kaboom, Guan-Yen, The German Twins, etc.) that Roy encounters have such compelling personalities, harkening back to landmark ‘80s video games like Street Fighter. Do you have a personal favorite?

Grillo: You know, I love Selina Lo. I love Guan Yin. I mean, she shows up over and over again and her hair is blowing in the wind like Béyonce. I just love it, Guan Yin’s my favorite.

Carnahan: I love that. I love her. I love Aaron Beelner as Kaboom, but Selina Lo is such a scene stealer too. It’s just so funny to watch this badass swordswoman with a British accent continue to decapitate Roy again and again.

I think audiences are gonna have a soft spot for Rob Gronkowski’s Gunner.

Grillo: Of course!

Carnahan: Right, Gronk is just Gronk. He was so great on set. He’s like a big animatronic bear. Lovely, lovely.

This interview has been edited for length and content.

Stream Boss Level on Hulu