A film with the title, “Breeder,” is almost guaranteed to touch on some uncomfortable topics. We chatted with the director, Alex Goyette, and the two leads of the film.
Anxiety and Mommy Issues Take Center Stage
Just from the title alone, “Breeder” is an uncomfortable journey from start to finish. The protagonist Russell (Daniel Doheny) is an awkward, anxious-filled, genuinely smart, and idealistic college student with no money and running out of options. That opens the door for Patti (Dot-Marie Jones) to slide in with an offer he couldn’t possibly refuse, right? Well, he should’ve. The dude missed red flag after red flag and ended up in a roller coaster ride of insanity, all because he lacked self-preservation and was desperate for cash.
There was some intriguing aspects of their characters that were brought up in our interview: Russell’s anxiety and Patti’s mommy issues. Doheny spoke about putting himself in the “physical state of having anxiety” having experienced anxiety attacks before. His commitment to stressing himself out to really step into the character is a testament to his skill and also how successful he was at invoking that feeling on screen. Goyette also spoke about creating the physical sensation of those anxiety attacks with camera work creating a “narrow focal area, then everything else is blurred around those edges.”
Jones’ discusses how Patti’s strained relationship with her mother fueled her to go to some very dark places. “I’ll show her, I’m smarter than she thinks,” Jones said, describing Patti’s mental state. The dog breeder is a mother herself to several adopted daughters and the way she treats them is absolutely reflective of how her mom treated her.
Tackling the Inherent Creepiness of Eugenics
Speaking of Patti’s girls, she has multiple daughters ranging from around 9 years old to early 20s. All of them leap to Patti’s (or “Chief”) commands like trained dogs and have varying levels of obedience that end up powering the final act of the film. Earlier on, there’s a scene where Patti and her daughters are sat around the dinner table with Russell and Patti makes a comment about how only certain people should be allowed to reproduce, explicitly saying the word “eugenics.”
Jones called this line of thinking creepy, but certainly tempting when tasked with making human geniuses. Doheny was more blunt, noting that eugenics is rooted in Nazism and Aryans, which makes it an interesting subject to tackle. “Breeder” may not go all the way there, but it certainly sets the table for that conversation.
“Breeder” is in theaters Oct. 28, 2026.
Russell is a dedicated researcher who has spent years developing a solution to save the endangered bee population. Struggling with limited funding, Russell’s prospects brighten when a dog breeder, Patti, offers to sponsor his work. Drawn into her isolated ranch, Russell soon realizes that Patti’s ambitions extend far beyond saving bees.
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