School’s Out Forever: An Interview with Oliver Milburn, Oscar Kennedy and Alex MacQueen

Framed within the context of an apocalyptic pandemic – a premise a little too close to home – School’s Out Forever stars Oscar Kennedy, Alex MacQueen, Jasmine Blackborow and Liam Lau Fernandez. The film, directed by Oliver Milburn, uses this dystopian setting to amplify the simplicity and tenderness of a lost boy looking for his mom. The movie is based on the eponymous novel by Scott K Andrews and is the multimedia studio Rebellion’s first in-house project. It follows a 15-year-old protagonist, Lee Keegan (Kennedy), in the midst of finding escape from a deadly, almost cannibalistic, virus. With nowhere to go, he must run back to the safety of his school and wait for his mother.

The feature is gruesome with a lot of exhilarating moments. Its sudden pacing starts off with the mundane – showing schoolboys causing a little bit of mischief – to life-or-death situations. There’s a lot of blood, gunshots and broken bones. But most of all, it has a great deal of heart. Overarching themes explored in the picture include family, friendship and questions of morality. With a rock and punk-infused soundtrack, a cast of young actors and an eerie parallel to the audience’s current reality, School’s Out Forever offers small comfort in-spite of the tragic events at hand.

We spoke to director Milburn and actors Kennedy and MacQueen. In this interview, we discuss what viewers can expect from School’s Out Forever, the casting and audition process and the dynamic between the characters and those playing them.

Mae Trumata

School’s Out Forever is released digitally on demand on 15^th February 2021, and is available on DVD and Blu-ray from 12^th April 2021. Read our review here.

Watch the trailer for School’s Out Forever here: