'Loathe Thy Neighbor' Takes Bruce County to the Big Screen: Q&A with Actor Brennan Clost
Behind the scenes of Loathe Thy Neighbor: Brennan Clost discusses filming in Bruce County, working with Lauren Holly, and the local connections that helped make it possible.
When Hollywood went dark during the 2023 strikes, the cameras kept rolling in Bruce County. On a 100-acre farm outside Owen Sound, actor Brennan Clost and Lauren Holly — his co-star and co-producer — set out to make a feature film against the odds.
The result was Loathe Thy Neighbor, a dark rural comedy that came together at breakneck speed, conceived, cast, and shot in just seven weeks.
Clost stars as Will Larkfield, a neurotic city transplant who inherits his late father’s farmhouse. His new rural life unravels when he clashes with Wanda Bellerose, a volatile honey farmer played by Holly. What begins as petty neighbourly squabbles spirals into psychological warfare, community drama, and unlikely connections, as the story explores what it means to find home in the most unexpected places.
With borrowed equipment, an all-hands-on-deck cast and crew, and help from local businesses and neighbours, the project grew from a Bruce County family tie into a TIFF-selected feature directed by Sergio Navarretta and written by Christian Majewski.
Set for nationwide release on August 29, 2025, Loathe Thy Neighbor also marks a turning point for Clost as he steps into producing alongside acting. He spoke with Owen Sound Current about making a movie in Bruce County, collaborating with Holly, and the role the community played in bringing the story to life.
Why Bruce County for filming?
OS Current: What made this location and community the right place to bring such an ambitious project to life?
Clost: “The whole film was sort of reverse-engineered. I knew we had access to a 100-acre property in Bruce County through a family connection, so with that in mind, my producing partners and I set out to create something that the location could lend itself to.
I’ve grown up coming to Bruce County my whole life, and the beauty in the landscapes always had me dreaming of making a film here.”
Enjoy a sneak peek at Loathe Thy Neighbor. The above “Scarecrow scene” was provided by Brennan Clost.
How Bruce County shaped the story
OS Current: Did working and living in Bruce County while making this film influence how you portrayed themes around clashes, community, and unlikely connections?
Clost: “Absolutely! This story is actually loosely inspired by an experience that happened to my family friend and their neighboring farm.
There are a lot of parallels in the film to my own life, and to my own experience of growing up and finding a sense of “home” in Bruce County.
The same is true for my character Will, who grows to love the farm and country life throughout the course of the film.”
Moving from actor to producer
OS Current: What was the biggest challenge in shifting from actor to creator, and what surprised you most about that transition?
Clost: “I think one of the biggest challenges for me was navigating all of the different hats I had to wear.
My nickname on the set was ‘CC’ for Camp Counsellor. Aside from acting, I was hosting all of the cast and crew at the property and was always running around organizing set design, craft services, wardrobe, animal wrangling, etc. on top of memorizing lines and my prep as an actor.”
Creating a film in seven weeks
OS Current: Am I correct that the film was conceived, cast, and created in just seven weeks?
Clost: “Yes! We had access to the location first, and then my producing partner and our screenwriter, Christian Majewski, wrote the script.
Then, we scrambled to assemble a cast and crew from our network. It was exciting, since no one in the industry was working, everyone was available and excited to come on board the project!
For example, we got a crazy lens package from Panavision pro bono that we would not have been able to get, had regular productions been filming.”
Working with Lauren Holly
OS Current: You worked alongside Lauren Holly not just as a co-star, but as a creative partner. How did that collaboration shape the film, and what did you learn from each other along the way?
Clost: “I learned a lot from Lauren. She is such a comedy legend and has had such an amazing career, and since becoming friends on the set of Tiny Pretty Things she’s always guided me with sound advice.
Our collaboration wasn’t just on-screen; as producing partners ,we were constantly having conversations about the direction of the film, planning schedules and budgets, coordinating crew and all of the other less glamorous producing jobs, and we really did it all together.”
Juilliard’s influence on Clost’s filmmaking
OS Current: Looking back on your Juilliard training and your career as a dancer and actor, how do you see those experiences feeding into your work as a filmmaker today?
Clost: “Absolutely, I always say that Juilliard, as intense as it was, completely changed me as a person and as an artist.
I constantly find myself reflecting on my time at Juilliard and referencing tools in my ‘Artist Toolbelt’ that I learned there, whether I’m acting or dancing or just being a person in the world.”
What audiences should take away, and what’s next
OS Current: With Loathe Thy Neighbor set for nationwide release, what do you hope audiences take away from this project—and what’s next for you after this milestone?
Clost: I hope audiences laugh and resonate with the absurd comedy of the film, but also take away the underlying messages to stay true to themselves and not to judge a book by its cover.
After Loathe Thy Neighbor, my first ever TV show The Next Step brought me back for the series finale, which airs this fall.
Beyond that, I have another film coming out later this year, and I’m currently developing my next feature film!”
Local support behind the scenes
The film’s production leaned heavily on local goodwill. Heat ‘n Eat Meal Co. kept the cast and crew fed, while Ackroyd’s Honey contributed both hives and jars that appear on screen.
One neighbouring farmer stepped in with a tractor when the script called for it, and from farther afield, a Bracebridge grower delivered a show-stopping 962-pound pumpkin that became central to the storyline.
The film opens nationwide on August 29, 2025, following an advance screening at Owen Sound Galaxy Cinemas on Monday, August 25.
Editor’s note: As a Canadian publication, we use the spelling “neighbour” in our writing. The film’s official title, however, is Loathe Thy Neighbor.