Walden stars Shane West and David Keith shared a common fascination with the premise of their new gripping psychological horror film and the one man who made it feel the best kind of creepy — Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild, Helen’s Dead). Hirsch plays Walden Dean, a tormented court stenographer who suddenly decides to take justice into his own hands. Just when you think you’ve seen the man perform the most gruesome acts, the story, written by Mick Davis, who also directs, takes things to even greater extremes.

West (The Dirty South, Nikita) plays steely detective Billy Kane. Keith (An Officer and a Gentleman, Daredevil) is Judge Boyle. Both actors play pivotal roles in Walden, which also stars Kelli Garner and Tania Raymonde. If you’re a fan of brooding psychological dramas with jump-out-of-your-seat horror thrills, a memorable antagonist, and ever-shifting plot twists, Walden is your next go-to. In the meantime, Shane West and David Keith shared more about the film, working alongside Emile Hirsch, and other things that sparked their imagination in this exclusive MovieWeb interview.

Emile Hirsch Shocked Shane West
Walden Release Date November 10, 2023 Director Mick Davis Rating R

An emotional downward spiral begins early on in Walden. After discovering he has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, geeky court stenographer Walden cracks. At this point, the man has witnessed far too many injustices in the courtroom to effectively tally, and his stored anger is looking for an outlet. Walden becomes his very own judge and jury — in the most gruesome ways imaginable.

“Originally the film was called The Stenographer, just straight up, straightforward,” Shane West told MovieWeb. “Believe it or not, that title attracted me because I don’t know much about that world, and I’ve never seen a script like this. Or at least from the courtroom stenographer’s perspective.”

West went on to say that the character of Walden had not been cast when he was considered for the role of Detective Bill Kane. “I immediately loved the script because it was so unique. Yes, it’s dark, but it is different. Then I was [wondering] what I could add to that. It was kind of a no-brainer to get involved from there. Then it was all about who’s going to play Walden, and how do we make this stand out from the other murder mysteries?”

Was he surprised by Hirsch’s riveting performance? “I’m not surprised that Emile would turn in a great performance because he’s a fantastic actor,” West said. “I was surprised at the way he made Walden, Walden. It was just shocking because on paper Walden [you thought] would be reserved, aloof, quiet, and just kind of holding back. But he made him such a well-rounded character that you can’t take your eyes off the screen. He really makes this film what it is.”

David Keith’s Behind-the-Scenes Connection

David Keith, who plays Judge Boyle in the film, was also impressed with Emile Hirsch’s transformation on screen. “Emile and I talked very frankly about this, and he said one of the reasons he wanted to do this movie was so he could really go out on a limb with the character. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him play a character who is that far from who he really is. He truly changed into another person on set. And it was pretty cool to watch. I loved working with him. And you know, he’s funny as hell.”

Keith was instrumental behind the scenes, in fact. Initially, a friend of his, who was investing in movies, put him in touch with a husband-and-wife producing team in Atlanta, Georgia. They knew writer-director Mick Davis. When a script emerged, Keith flew out to L.A. to talk to Davis about playing Judge Boyle, noting:

“Before I could even pitch me playing the part, he walked up and said, ‘First of all, let’s get this out of the way. I want you to play the judge.’ And I said, well, ‘All right, you got me.’ It’s a very pivotal role. There’s not a ton of screen time. I had a lot of days off. I live in Knoxville, so I could just drive to Atlanta, shoot a couple of days, and come back. So that’s the practical reason I liked the role. But I like the power this judge has. I like the effortless, comfortable power.”

Related: Movies With Entirely Too Many Plot Twists

Another surprising aspect of the production was the structure of the script and the way it spins its various plot lines, keeping the audience guessing. “Here’s a nerdy court stenographer who’s all into this work, but he’s also a vigilante,” Keith shared. “I mean, you can’t get any farther apart than that. Most movies these days are extremely linear. You got one guy who’s got to kill a million bad guys, and you start at the beginning. By the end, he’s alive and they’re dead. Very linear. But this movie goes in so many different directions. It’s very multifaceted.”

The Role Shane West Would Love to Play
Uncork’d Entertainment

Shane West, who was recently seen in The Dirty South alongside Dermot Mulroney, said that he was inspired by Emile Hirsch’s performance. It may have also sparked ideas for him about the kinds of dramatic roles he would consider playing in the future.

“Look, Emile owned this one,” West said. “It’s a juicy role that he made juicier. I don’t know if there’s [a role] in particular for me. I kind of know it when I see it. It’s more of, ‘What’s out there and what can I do?’ There is a role, and I have to be careful how I talk about it, but I was able to do [a role] this past year that is definitely different, and that I have not done before.

Related: 15 Best Courtroom Dramas of All Time, Ranked

“I was able to transform,” he added. “Hopefully I did that justice. But anything I do differently is what’s important to me. Because that’s the whole essence of acting. I wouldn’t mind a Hurt Locker-type thing. Something that Jeremy Renner was able to dig deep into. That would be something great too.”

Ultimately, he says audiences will be inspired by the originality of Walden.

“We, as a society, are so fascinated with high-profile or any profile court cases. Documentaries, docuseries — society is fascinated with it. So to be able to see this film told from the perspective of potentially the viewer — it’s the stenographer, but potentially of how you would deal with having to see all these injustices daily, monthly, weekly, yearly. And how would you handle that, bringing that home to your daily life. How would that affect you? This is a fresh take on the murder mystery that people would want to see, and you’re probably not going to guess the ending, so that’s a cool thing, too.”

Walden is out in select theaters and will be available On Demand and digital on December 12. You can watch the trailer below: