Lazareth Star Ashley Judd Argues Female Characters Don’t Need to Be Likable (2024)

Fans of Ashley Judd may not care for her latest character all that much, especially at the outset of the new thriller by writer and director Alec Tibaldi, which is titled Lazareth. It’s a dark and uncertain time, and in a world reeling from a devastating pandemic, Lee (Judd) will do anything to keep her two orphaned nieces, Imogen (Katie Douglas) and Maeve (Sarah Pidgeon) safe. However, as an actress, Judd isn’t concerned in the least about Lee’s likability. Judd said in an interview with ComicBook.com:

Honestly, Judd’s opinion can be argued either way, depending on one’s own particular viewpoint. For example, in cinema, one of the most well-known and important female characters remains Meryl Streep’s own Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Miranda is not a likable character throughout the course of the film. However, she is a person who resonates with cinephiles, particularly thanks to that ever so brief smile and look of pride on Miranda's face after seeing Andy (Anne Hathaway) at the end of the movie.

Lazareth (2024)

Thriller

Sci-Fi

Drama

2.5/5

Lee protects her orphaned nieces Imogen and Maeve from a self-destructing world, raising them in isolation until an outsider threatens their peaceful existence.

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Release Date

May 10, 2024

Director

Alec Tibaldi

Cast

Ashley Judd , Sarah Pidgeon , Katie Douglas , Asher Angel , Edward Balaban

Runtime

1h 26m

Writers

Alec Tibaldi

Studio(s)

TPC , Vertical Entertainment , The Barnum Picture Company

On the other side of the coin, take a more recent character like Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley). From the very beginning, audiences, particularly Star Wars fans, are urged by the storytelling and circ*mstances to be on Rey’s side and find her likable. The young Force user rises out of poverty on Jakku, joins up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and eventually learns a few lessons about the Jedi from none other than Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) before defeating Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and taking on the Skywalker moniker.

However, when it comes to Judd’s portrayal of Lee in Lazareth, it seems she leaned more into The Devil Wears Prada way of approaching her character. Judd said in the same interview:

Ashley Judd Does the Best She Can Against a ‘Deadly Pandemic’

MovieWeb’s review of Lazareth calls the film a “nuanced apocalypse” that “mostly works,” but it’s clear that writer/director Alec Tibaldi’s thriller isn’t resonating with most of the critics as reviews begin to trickle in. At the time of this writing, Lazareth only registers 24% on the Tomatometer. However, it’s encouraging that the flick’s audience score boasts a much higher 67%. For those movie lovers who aren’t familiar with Lazareth, check out the synopsis below:

“Following the death of their parents, Lee (Ashley Judd) adopts her nieces, Imogen (Douglas) and Maeve (Pidgeon), and raises them in a remote cabin as a deadly pandemic rages on around them. For over 10 years, the girls are raised to never leave the woods, avoid any and all interaction with outsiders, and ultimately rely on Lee as their only connection to the outside world.

Lee has convinced the girls this is the key to survival in what is now an infectious and violent world. But when Imogen and Maeve discover an injured man in the nearby woods, Lee's absolute control begins to disintegrate as their faith in her, and everything they've ever known, begins to unravel.”

Be sure to check out MovieWeb’s exclusive interview with Ashley Judd for more of her insights on the shattered “gender utopia” right now. And Lazareth is available to rent ($6.99) or buy ($14.99) on the following VOD platforms: YouTube, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.