Between Ready or Not, The Babysitter, Azrael, and her recent turn in Over Your Dead Body, I am ready to declare Samara Weaving as one of modern horror’s most reliable stars. It just not about shrieks: In each movie, the Australian actor blends classic “scream queen” aura with — sorry for this one — “yas queen” wit. Regardless of where the stories go, if Weaving is on screen, you can expect her to emerge bloodied, funny, and triumphant.
Her latest film, Carolina Caroline, is a genre gear shift, a crime thriller with shades of True Romance and Bonnie and Clyde. It’s exactly the kind of pivot you’d expect from an actor who seems more interested in surprising herself than settling into a lane. Oh, and she loves video games. Ideal Shelf Quest candidate.
We never know quite what to expect when a guest joins us to walk down the packed aisles of videogamesnewyork. Some people arrive with a carefully curated list of favorite games. Others need a few minutes among the shelves before the memories start flooding back. Weaving was off and running before even entering the store. Much like she is on screen, she’s a powerhouse that’s downright hilarious.
What you’ll find in Weaving’s episode of Shelf Quest: Stories about summers spent at a friend’s house playing PlayStation and eating snacks she wasn’t allowed to have at home. Weaving going deep on her love of The Sims and explaining how she hauls a PlayStation 5 around the world in her luggage. Expect a passionate ode to Red Dead Redemption followed by very specific grievances over Red Dead Redemption 2. Game Boy talk sends her on a journey.
Weaving may be our most glamorous guest yet, but she’s no less legitimate a gamer than anyone else who’s wandered these aisles. She’s candid, self-deprecating, enthusiastic, and completely unfiltered in the best possible way. In fact, by the end of this episode, you’ll probably be convinced she’s been secretly training for a video game adaptation all along. (Maybe if we all wish together, we’ll manifest her perfect casting into existence.)
Until then, enjoy the latest Shelf Quest. If you aren’t already a Samara Weaving fan, I’d be willing to bet you will be by the time the credits roll.