Ridiculed and revered in equal measure, ‘70s style is often presented on film as parody. Did everybody really spend the decade swanning around in psychedelic prints, crazy collars and far out flares? Certainly, costume designer Emma Fryer doesn’t think so and took a far subtler approach to dressing the characters in Free Fire, British director Ben Wheatley’s hotly anticipated follow up to last year’s High-Rise.
In an abandoned warehouse in late ‘70s Massachusetts, a gun deal has just gone very, very wrong. A squabble leads to shots being fired, which quickly escalates into an almighty gun fight. The ‘70s setting is both an homage to the show-downs of classic films of the era and a plot device. Deprived of modern technology, such as mobile phones, the characters are well and truly cut off from outside assistance.
While humorous and stylised (comparisons to Reservoir Dogs seem inevitable), Free Fire never places style over substance. There’s an authenticity both in the depiction of a shoot-out as a disorientating, disorderly mess and in the choice of wardrobe. “There are certain films where the costumes jump out,” says Fryer. “The point of this film is that they’re very much those characters’ clothes. They don’t become ‘costumes’ or take away from that character.”
Image courtesy of StudioCanal
Image courtesy of StudioCanal
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Fryer was also very conscious of avoiding ‘70s stereotypes: “The clichés are there for every period. You’ve got to delve further into the world of the everyday person on the street and feed it back into the costumes that you’re creating.” Crucial to this was finding the right references, or “good, key elements that would throw you into a real world, other than what we all imagine the ‘70s to be.” A major source of inspiration was Terminal Bar, “a great book I found in the Tate Modern, which is photographed at a bar in New York. It had pictures of regular Americans and that was what I was trying to convey: wearable pieces rooted in normal people – which is something very different to ‘70s high fashion.”
Fryer searched costume houses and second-hand stores for original items such as Farah trousers and vintage Levi’s to ensure the costumes “felt more lived in and didn’t have that brand new, out of the shop feeling.” Sources included British heritage brand Gabicci as well as “a great shop in Sicilian Avenue and a funny little shop in Victoria. I knew it was going to be a mix of making and buying because you can still get fantastic ‘70s clothing that would work within the world we were in.”
Because the action in Free Fire takes place over the course of one night, in one location, there were no costume changes, presenting an unusual challenge for a designer. “It’s all about creating the character and the clothes representing who that person is,” Fryer explains, “and you’re doing that in one hit.” It helped that the film had “an amazing, fabulous cast”, which included Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy and Armie Hammer. “They were all fun in different ways,” recalls Fryer. “I really enjoyed the job because I was able to do slightly different things with each character and not cross over too much.”
Image courtesy of StudioCanal
Image courtesy of StudioCanal
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Rhodesian gun dealer Vernon [Sharlto Copley] is perhaps the vainest character, conscious of preserving his Savile Row suit whilst dodging bullets. “Vernon feels like he did come from some slightly different place and that had to reflect in the lighter coloured fabric, the pink shirt, but I didn’t want him to be a stereotype either,” explains Fryer. “It’s slightly upping it, but not to the point where it’s too heightened. It’s little details, like he had a double-cuffed shirt and cufflinks, making the jacket as waisted as possible. Obviously, we worked with the great shape of ‘70s trousers which are brilliantly fitted, but you had to be able to move in them.”
Dressing Justine, the only female character in the story, was also a case of balancing style with practicality. “I think it was very clear she couldn’t be in a skirt!” Fryer laughs. “The action dictated very quickly that it would have to be trousers and that does eliminate a lot. Certainly, when she was crawling across the floor, she couldn’t have done that other than in a pair of jeans and a jacket. It was a hard surface. She’s got Frye boots and a Coach bag. At the time, they were just classic American pieces and not too obvious a route to go down. So, it’s a mix of character, finding a way of covering padding and finding a good silhouette for her.”
Image courtesy of StudioCanal
Image courtesy of StudioCanal
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Each character – and their attire – takes a bashing by the end of the film. “Even though there was only one look, they might have had four or five different trousers, certainly six or seven top halves,” says Fryer. “Once the guns went off, we had to keep shooting new costumes, changing the jacket if it already had three bullet holes and two more are going to go in.” This could have been a continuity nightmare so it was fortunate that Wheatley shot the film almost chronologically. “Out of sequence would be tricky,” the designer admits. “With sprinklers going on – that could only have happened at the end.”
Conscious of not giving away too many spoilers, we’ll say no more, except that if you’re in the mood for an action movie without the usual clichés, Free Fire is well worth checking out.
Your twenties aren’t so much a straight path as they are a comedy of errors – equal parts existential crisis and chaotic group chat. For Jack Innanen, that winding journey has taken him from the fluorescent haze of university science labs to the punchlines of TikTok and the ensemble cast of ‘Adults’, a sharp, hilarious, and painfully relatable series about trying (and failing) to get it right in early adulthood.
Jack’s switch from physics and astronomy to comedy was a leap of faith, born out of a gut feeling that he was meant to tell stories. Whether he’s playing Paul Baker, the guy who’s charming enough to get away with not having it all together, or living out his own uncertainties, Jack speaks for a generation trying to be good people… despite not quite knowing what that means yet.
In conversation with Schön!, Jack Innanen opens up about late-night golf swings, frozen peas, comedic timing, creative self-belief, and why your twenties are best survived with a sense of humour — and maybe a spare pair of underwear.
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shoes. Dsquared2
socks. Nike
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underwear. Calvin Klein
full look. PRIVATE POLICY
shoes. Dsquared2
socks. Nike
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underwear. Calvin Klein
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So, physics and astronomy to comedy is slightly unheard of. Tell us about the switch.
Yeah, that was a big 180 for me. I always loved both, but honestly, I don’t think I really believed in myself in the creative field, or even the legitimacy of a career in it. I thought science was the ‘safe’ or ‘correct’ route and loved doing it, but it wasn’t until those excruciating winter days at Robarts Library at the University of Toronto doing problem sets for 12 hours a day that really made me reevaluate how I wanted to spend my future. They’re also more similar than I think people give them credit for – comedy and science are both just challenges of finding the best result from a set of information. Science is comical, and comedy is scientific. Bang. Print that.
Was there a specific sketch that made you think, “Okay, this is working – people are actually watching this”?
I remember the first sketch that I loved doing and also performed well was some stupid video about a real experience I had with my apartment building complex’s management. It actually set the tone for most of my videos going forward, where I would experience some mild frustration and then “spicy edit it”, as my mom would call it, which is basically to lie and exaggerate the story to make it much more entertaining or absurd.
The video was about how I went to park in my parking spot in the building, but someone else had parked there, and when I told management, they told me just to go ahead and park there anyway. I explained I couldn’t, because there was a car in my spot. They asked if the spot was mine. I said yes. They said, “then just park there”. This guy just couldn’t understand that I couldn’t park in my spot because a car was already parked there, and I remember that concept making me laugh so hard and made a video of that interaction, and in retrospect, I guess that kinda birthed my two-man concept!
I feel like you’re full of surprises. Is there anything else people would be surprised to learn about you?
I have 5 nipples total. I don’t, but how surprising would that have been?
Now playing Paul Baker in ‘Adults’, tell us a bit about your character and how you got involved in the series.
Paul Baker, a firsty-lasty, a chill, charming, sweet Canadian guy who has definitely been bouncing around Brooklyn from hookup to hookup but has found his place within the main gang through his girlfriend, Issa. I was first presented with the script in January 2024 and was blown away by how A) funny and B) how real the script and characters were. I remember laughing out loud at the sides and also walking down through the East Village after and being able to pick out these characters from the street, like, “Okay, that’s a Billie, that’s an Anton.” I was also immediately hell bent on getting the part because Paul was simply me at 22, with a few differences, sure, but I felt so seen by this character it was therapeutic, almost, by getting to play him.
“Trying to be good people, despite being neither good nor people yet” – that tagline is too real. How close is this series to your own experience navigating your 20’s?
Spot on. I think the beauty of your 20s and what the show displays so beautifully is that you aren’t always your best. Your 20s are filled to the brim with stumbles, it’s the period of ‘who am I, to me, and who am I to the world?’ The biggest thing is that we are all trying, whether we stick the landing or not. But most importantly, we are there to support our friends if, or more certainly when, they don’t nail that landing.
Do you have any memories from your own ‘roast chicken phase of life’ that you look back at differently now?
Unfortunately. I remember cooking a meal for a girl I was trying to impress back in university, and it was the driest, most overcooked, and unseasoned chicken breast with rice and frozen peas that were still completely frozen. She initially said she was starving, but after I served it, she remembered that she actually had just eaten before arriving.
Being a show about codependent housemates, have you had any chaotic shared-living experiences in your life?
My buddy I lived with in university was something else. Shoutout Bendy – at 2 am, he used to drag his mattress into the living room. Mind you, this is a horrifically small Toronto student apartment. He would place a tee in a cardboard box on the ground, set up a golf ball, and drive balls into his mattress at full speed. Just full-on swings of golf balls bouncing off the mattress at all hours of the night. Meanwhile, he would have 3 screens going at all times; football on the TV, hockey on his phone, basketball on his laptop, and then Travis Scott on the JBL. He also ate either cake made in muffin tins, called his “morning muffins”, or smoked salmon and caper bagels for breakfast. There was no in between. I love the guy to this day.
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full look. HUGO
full look. Dior
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full look. HUGO
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And being a cast of 20-something year olds, what was the set like? Any scenes where it was hard to keep a straight face?
Too many to count. The cast is just hilarious. Kroll or the creators would sometimes come in and feed lines to us to get real reactions from the others for some takes, and those were the hardest because you never knew what was coming. The scene in Episode 5 when the teenage girls show up was the hardest for me not to break because they kept being fed the most heinous insults to throw at Malik – all of our reactions were real.
Did making the show make you feel more like an adult, or the opposite?
Weirdly both? Cop out? But true? It made me feel responsible for my part in this major production that I had never experienced before, which definitely made me stand up straighter most days and really focus on being my most competent self – but it also introduced me to my favourite people who at the core are just kids goofing off getting to be silly on camera all day. Amita always says that she just wants to get on set and “play,” and I love that term. I really felt like I just got to “play” for the first time since I was a kid.
If you could go back and give 18-year-old Jack one piece of advice, what would it be?
Bring extra underwear, man. Just do it, you never know. And also, go for it. Advocate for yourself, no one else is coming to do it for you. You got this.
What excites you the most right now – more TV? A return to sketches? Something unexpected?
Get those nipples removed. I’m joking. I’m dying to get back on set with everyone and run ‘Adults’ back for as many seasons as I can until they kill me off. Also, movies — I really wanna make some movies. Honestly, I just love getting to goof around on camera, so any way I can continue to do that, I’m in.
blazer. PRIVATE POLICY
skirt. A. Potts
shoes. Dsquared2
socks. Nike
opposite
full look. SHWETAMBARI
blazer. PRIVATE POLICY
skirt. A. Potts
shoes. Dsquared2
socks. Nike
opposite
full look. SHWETAMBARI
jumper. Helene Galwas
panty. Triumph
bangles. Casha
jumper. Helene Galwas
panty. Triumph
bangles. Casha
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There’s something unmistakably magnetic about Lilly Krug. A rising star in both European cinema and Hollywood, Krug using acting as a way to both discover and redefine herself with every role. From the grounded intensity of dramatic thrillers to indie gems, Krug is carving a path marked by fearless curiosity and emotional depth. “I grew up surrounded by theater and the arts, so storytelling was always part of my world,” she tells Schön!. But despite this early immersion, the decision to pursue acting professionally wasn’t immediate. “I wanted to explore everything. I worked in cafés, studied coding, hiked Kilimanjaro… It wasn’t until I acted in a short film that something truly clicked.”
Whether playing a defiant firebrand in ‘April X,’ a role requiring her to slip in and out of ten different personas, or preparing for a role by crafting detailed character “blueprints” in her notebook, Krug’s approach to acting is anything but casual. “Acting is a constant lesson in empathy,” she reflects. “It stretches my perspective and deepens my emotional vocabulary.” Even off-screen, her passions run deep. Currently studying psychology in Los Angeles, Krug finds that her academic pursuits bleed naturally into her craft. “When I prepare for a role, I essentially take the character apart — to understand their motivations, wounds, desires, fears… Psychology provides a powerful framework for exploring all of that more deeply.”
Schön! sits down with Lilly Krug to learn about her acting methods, studying psychology, and more.
What originally sparked your passion for acting, and who were your biggest influences growing up?
I grew up surrounded by theatre and the arts, so storytelling was always part of my world. It’s hard to pinpoint a single moment that sparked my passion because in many ways, it’s something I’ve been living and breathing my entire life. But for a long time, I didn’t know I wanted to make it my career.
Growing up, I had so many different interests — I wanted to explore everything. I worked in cafés, studied coding, hiked Kilimanjaro, and even considered a path in fitness. It wasn’t until I acted in a short film that something truly clicked. I remember wishing the shoot days would never end. There was this thrilling, all-encompassing feeling on set that I hadn’t experienced anywhere else.
I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to figure everything out early in life. But sometimes, you have to try a lot of things to land where you’re meant to be. For me, that journey led to acting — and it’s a path that makes me feel like a student every day. I never stop learning or expanding. And that, to me, is the most exciting part.
You’ve worked across different genres, from thrillers to dramas. Do you have a favourite genre to act in, or do you enjoy the challenge of variety?
I feel incredibly lucky to have explored such a range of genres so early in my career. It’s easy to get typecast at the beginning, so having the chance to jump between styles and tones has been both rare and rewarding. Each project comes with its own unique set of challenges — whether it’s mastering an accent, embodying vastly different characters back-to-back, or navigating the emotional complexity of filming in a new country, surrounded by people I’ve just met.
What excites me most is how each role becomes an opportunity to expand my understanding of the world and myself. Acting is a constant lesson in empathy — it stretches my perspective and deepens my emotional vocabulary. That, to me, is the greatest gift of this work.
Right now, I’m especially drawn to the idea of doing a historical or otherworldly piece — something that invites both escapism and transformation.
How do you typically prepare for a role? Do you have a specific process or technique you rely on?
I’ve found that there’s never just one way to approach a character — each role requires something a little different. But my process usually begins with reading the script all the way through to understand the world, tone, and structure of the project. On the second read, I dive deeper — I pull out my notebook and start mapping things out: character relationships, arcs, emotional motives, setting, and any key details that shape the environment or dynamics.
When I focus on my character, I look closely at what she does, what she says, and — just as importantly — what others say about her. That’s usually when intuitive details begin to emerge: her fears, desires, insecurities, longings — things that aren’t always written but live between the lines. I put all of this into a personal breakdown — my “blueprint” — which I often return to while on set.
From there, my preparation becomes more physical and specific to the role: her posture, voice, rhythm, and how she carries herself in the world. I’m also really lucky to have found a class and a group of fellow actors where I can safely experiment and explore. That environment helps me internalize the character on a subconscious level, so that when the camera rolls, she’s already living inside me.
You’ve portrayed a wide range of emotionally intense characters. Is there a particular role that challenged you the most so far, and why?
One of the most challenging roles I’ve taken on was for a project called ‘April X’, which hasn’t been released yet. I found out I’d gotten the role just a week and a half before flying to Romania for a three-month shoot, so everything happened very fast. April is a firecracker — unapologetically opinionated, emotionally unpredictable, and fiercely rebellious. She’s one of those rare characters who’s bursting with life, but also forced to confront some of life’s harshest truths.
What made it especially challenging was that I didn’t just play April— I had to embody around ten different personas within the same film. It required an enormous amount of emotional agility, stamina, and focus. And personally, it came at a time in my life when I was going through a lot myself. In many ways, the role held up a mirror, forcing me to ask questions I hadn’t fully confronted yet. It pushed me not only as an actor but as a person, and that’s why it remains one of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever done.
You’ve already worked with some incredible actors. Is there a dream co-star or director you’d love to collaborate with in the future?
Where do I even begin? I actually have a folder on my laptop filled with people I’d love to work with — it’s my little source of inspiration. Some of the directors at the top of my list are Paul Thomas Anderson, Noah Baumbach, Denis Villeneuve, Luca Guadagnino, Nicolas Winding Refn, Alex Schaad, Edward Berger, Tim Fehlbaum, and Christian Schwochow… and that’s just scratching the surface.
Each of them brings such a distinct voice and vision to their work. I’m drawn to directors who create immersive worlds, who explore human complexity with nuance and boldness. Just imagining what I could learn from them gives me goosebumps.
When approaching a new character, do you draw from personal experiences, or do you prefer to fully immerse yourself in research and external inspiration?
I’ve come to realize that once you tap into a kind of universal consciousness, you can truly feel and embody experiences you haven’t personally lived through. It’s something I’m still learning, but it’s been completely mind-opening. When you let go of your self-protective mechanisms — when you allow yourself to fully imagine and feel what a situation would be like—it’s incredible how real it becomes.
At the same time, I’ve had to get to know myself deeply to recognize what I need to let go of when stepping into a role. Otherwise, I’d just be playing versions of myself over and over again. So, my process is about finding that space between— connecting emotionally to a hypothetical truth and allowing whatever arises in that unknown place to lead me. That’s where the magic starts to happen.
You’ve worked alongside legendary actors like Anthony Hopkins and Michael Shannon — what’s the most memorable piece of advice or experience you’ve gained from them?
What’s been most beautiful is that I’ve learned something from every artist I’ve had the chance to work with. Acting is such a personal and often disarming process, and each actor has their own path to truth. Watching them work has been a masterclass in presence and vulnerability.
The most memorable piece of advice I’ve received is about cultivating the courage to surrender. To trust the moment enough to let it surprise you. To stop trying to control or predict what the character should do — and instead, allow the character to move through you. That kind of surrender invites something deeper, something real.
body. Essential Antwerp
heels. Jimmy Choo
earrings. Just Win
stockings. Falke
opposite
bra. Triumph
collar. Numéro202020
bangle. Casha
body. Essential Antwerp
heels. Jimmy Choo
earrings. Just Win
stockings. Falke
opposite
bra. Triumph
collar. Numéro202020
bangle. Casha
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As one of Germany’s rising stars in Hollywood, how do you balance working internationally while staying connected to your roots?
I feel incredibly connected to Germany, most of my family is still there, and that grounding presence means everything to me. I feel so lucky to be gathering these extraordinary new experiences on set, while also having such a strong foundation of love and connection in both Germany and the U.S.
Acting has really expanded my worldview. Even when I find myself immersed in unfamiliar cultures for weeks or months at a time, I’ve noticed something surprising: the more I step into the unknown, the more I rediscover who I am and what truly matters to me. In a way, each new place brings me closer to my roots, not further away. It deepens my connection to where I come from and to myself.
You’re studying psychology in Los Angeles. Do you see yourself incorporating that knowledge into your acting, or is it something you’d like to explore outside of film?
I think it’s impossible not to incorporate psychology into acting. When I prepare for a role, I essentially take the character apart to understand their motivations, wounds, desires, fears, and inner logic. Psychology provides a powerful framework for exploring all of that more deeply.
But it goes even further. Studying psychology has also helped me understand myself in new ways, which in turn allows me to see what aspects of Lilly I need to shed or amplify for a particular role. That kind of self-awareness becomes essential when you’re constantly stepping into different lives.
As for where it might take me beyond acting, I’m not entirely sure yet, but I’m endlessly fascinated by it. Honestly, I think everyone should study at least a little psychology at some point. It would probably make day-to-day life a lot more harmonious… and a bit more interesting too!
Looking ahead, is there a dream role, director, or genre you’re hoping to explore next in your career?
One thing I haven’t had the chance to do yet is a period or science fiction film. Stepping into a completely different time, inhabiting a world so unlike our own, would be an incredible challenge and a dream come true. I’d love to explore the nuances of character through the lens of a different era, with all the posture, language, and cultural shifts that come with it.
I’m also a very physically active person, so doing an action film is high on my list. The idea of combining movement and physical intensity with emotional storytelling really excites me. That said, I truly feel like I’m just at the beginning of my journey. There are so many stories, characters, and genres I’m still eager to dive into and I’m open to being surprised along the way.
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earrings. Chaingang
blazer. Numéro 202020
earrings. Chaingang
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“Club der Dinosaurier” will start on June 6 on ZDF Mediathek and on June 15 at ZDF neo.
