Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Elevator Game follows a group of recent high school graduates who host an online series that debunks urban legends. However, when the entertainers hit a snag about what subject matter to cover for their next session, their new intern, Ryan [Gino Anania], suggests playing the "Elevator Game." The rules are simple. Participants ride the elevator in a specific sequence in hopes of unlocking a gateway to another dimension. But beware! If the 5th Floor Woman enters, do not look at her or talk to her.

Lead actor Anania and producer Stefan Brunner recently spoke to CBR about urban legends, grounding the characters, creating suspense, and what makes the 5th Floor Woman so terrifying.

CBR: How aware were you of the actual Elevator Game and its origins before the script came your way?

Stefan Brunner: I wasn't. The script that Travis Seppala sent to us prompted a deep dive into that. It [is] incredibly fascinating what you find when you do a deep dive on Elevator Game. The people that played it around the world [and] the people sharing their testimonials and their experiences… I was surprised I hadn't heard of it before. Then, we took it from there.

Gino Anania: No, neither have I. But when the script came my way, that's when I started reading up on it and fell in love with the game and what Elevator Game has to offer.

There are so many urban legends out there. What makes this particular one so terrifying and enthralling?

Anania: I think being trapped in an elevator, and the elevator having control of the people inside… It is leading you to your demise, in a way. The only control you have is pressing the buttons. So, yes, you can back out at any time. But, if you don't, each level is like a roller coaster of fear.

Brunner: It's this idea that you have taken an everyday object, like an elevator, and it's transformed into an object of terror. It's to be confined and at the mercy of this thing, working and doing what it is supposed to do. In a way, you are helpless. That, at the core of an urban legend, is so creepy. The idea of opening up a portal to another world with an elevator… It's a perfect marriage for a horror movie.

Whether it's saying ''Candyman'' three times in the mirror, invoking the Slender Man, or watching cursed videotapes, what is the fascination with debunking these urban legends and playing around with unknown forces?

Brunner: What I always thought was very fascinating is these urban legends tell us so much about natural human curiosity [and]the belief that something can exist beyond the world we know. Everyone knows that they are not true. But there is always this ''what if'' element. That adds a really frightening edge to the entire game. Whether you stand in front of a mirror and say ''Candyman'' or push the elevator buttons in a certain order, this is what intrigues people.

Gino, how important was it to ground your character Ryan, to give him a motivation that viewers could sympathize with or relate to?

Anania: [It was} extremely important to ground him in what he wanted and what his motive was. Obviously, he wants a specific thing, and that's to find his sister and go to the Red World. Maybe the way he goes about it isn't the best thing in the world. But his intentions, at the end of the day, I found, were pure. I think he was going in the wrong direction. That says a lot about who he is. To me, reading the script and finding that was how I was able to get the audience to sympathize with who he is and why he is doing the things, while also doing the wrong thing. We can all relate to feeling like you are trying so hard to get what you want, but you have never been in these situations before, and you are doing the wrong thing. But you don't realize it until you feel the sadness inside or you feel like you are being pushed away… And for what? Because you have never been in that situation before? Obviously not. I think finding a way for the audience to sympathize with Ryan was extremely important. It's then a very easy way to go in the direction of him being a villain if he was very harsh about the way he was going about it. It was all coming from a place of love.

Considering the majority of this movie takes place in an elevator, what was the trick to creating tension in such an enclosed space?

Brunner: What we have is the benefit of shooting in a former police precinct in Winnipeg. We had the entire building for ourselves. The crew built a really cool elevator set that we had full control over. That helped us play with lighting and create the tension we were hoping for. It's all about controlling these aspects.

Gino, what's the secret to embracing that heightened state of fear and maintaining it for an extended period of time?

Anania: After shooting for 20 days, you get the stamina you need. It's fun. You find the way of finding the fun in it and getting the opportunity to be scared and to dig into those emotions. Especially having Samantha Halas as the 5th Floor Woman, what she was able to do with her body, and how she's a contortionist made it a lot easier to dive back into [the] fear.

The 5th Floor Woman fits so prominently into this urban legend. Why was it effective to see less of her, in glimpses, rather than more?

Brunner: I've always been a believer that less is more in horror. It helps to keep a certain mystery of not showing everything. This is what we went for. We wanted to make sure that when we see her, those are the memorable moments, and we get to see what she can actually do as an actress and as the 5th Floor Woman. We made her a supernatural entity. She is not a ghost or specter. She has an origin story. It was important for us to show that origin story. She is evil, but people did unthinkable things to her. This was important. It's a bit like Ryan. You want to root for him. He's doing the wrong things, but he does it for the right reasons. I don't think with the 5th Floor Woman, we are there yet. But it was important to give her that backstory to really find her look and movements. Samantha did an outstanding job. I think the first time she showed up on set in full glory, our actors were impressed.

Anania: I remember eating lunch and looking up mid-bite, and just looking at her and being like, "Lunch is going to be over quickly. I am going to be OK."

Stefan, what conversations did you have with your director, Rebekah McKendry, about the vision for the 5th Floor Woman?

Brunner: Rebekah, me, and basically all of us, we were very in sync on how we wanted to show her and harken back to the internet myth, as it pertains to her look and her movements. Samantha is a contortionist. We know she does things that none of us can do, but we didn't know really until we saw her. Then we played with that. We let her embody that woman, which wasn't always easy for her because she was in full prosthetic makeup. A lot of the movements that she is used to, she had to adjust to still be able to do them.

Gino, have you actually played the Elevator Game? Or, has this movie made you think twice about entering an elevator?

Anania: No, I haven't played it. Have I thought about it? Absolutely. And I answered it very quickly and said, "No, I will not play that. I am way too terrified." It's so funny that you bring up whether I think twice about going into an elevator. Every time I enter an elevator now, I think about the game.

Elevator Game is now streaming on Shudder.