I first heard about Two Neighbors, the debut feature from New York-based filmmaker Ondine Viñao, at a BFI pitching session in October 2024. The film was the talk of that event, largely thanks to its interesting cast of actors, which includes Euphoria alum Chloe Cherry and Ralph Ineson (The Fantastic Four: First Steps).
Almost a year later, Viñao, along with her producer, Ivy Freeman-Attwood, has rather impressively managed to carry that early chatter into a debut at this year’s Edinburgh Film Festival, which has garnered significant buzz online and on the ground in Scotland, where we sat down for an interview with the duo.
“We got lucky that Ralph ended up as the villain in Fantastic Four,” Viñao jokes of Ineson’s growing online popularity following his appearance in the Marvel flick. “Thank you, Ralph.”
Inspired by Avaricious and Envious, one of Aesop’s fables, Two Neighbors follows Becky, an ambitious but struggling writer, who is overcome by envy and spite when she meets Stacy, a beautiful but insatiable socialite, at a lavish party hosted by Stacy’s father at their country estate. The evening descends slowly into chaos, and the girls’ lives are transformed after the unexpected arrival of a modern-day genie who promises to grant their deepest, darkest wishes.
“It’s not fucking Saltburn,” Viñao says defiantly of the film’s story in response to some early press coverage and social reviews. Two Neighbors is Viñao’s debut feature. The 31-year-old filmmaker is otherwise known for her gallery work.
“The projects I’ve been making fall under the video installation umbrella. But even then, I like to borrow from older source materials, Greek mythology, parables, Aesop’s fables, and interpret them through a surrealist and contemporary lens,” she says. “So working with material like Avaricious and Envious was a natural starting point for me.”
A rare indie U.S.-UK production, the film was shot in Reading, England, but is set in New York—a decision partly influenced by the story’s satirical look at America’s elite.
“It’s an American new money thing, like how the Vanderbilts built their French chateau in like Burlington, Connecticut,” Viñao says. But the location was largely a production decision.
“This is the first feature I’ve produced. I couldn’t really fathom going to America and figuring it out,” Freeman-Attwood explains.
Alongside producing, the 26-year-old also stars in the film. The wider ensemble features Anya Chalotra (The Witcher), Jake Simmance (Better Man), William Hope, Samuel Anderson, Zoe Telford, and Joseph Millson, with Cherry and Ineson. Viñao says she envisioned Cherry in the lead from her early drafts of the screenplay.
“I don’t necessarily associate Chloe with Euphoria. To me, she was from the porn industry and then transitioned to social media fame, and then, strangely, this kind of New York City alternative scene girl,” Viñao says. “So she was a really interesting cultural phenomenon.”
Ineson was a later addition, they explained, citing his ability to provide performances with great flexibility.
“We needed someone with weight. The issue with a lot of older male actors is that they can be all weight,” Freeman-Attwood says. “We also needed lightness and friendliness. He has that ability. And being a super well-known character actor helps.”
Indeed, name recognition does help and has undoubtedly helped the film attract more eyeballs here in Edinburgh, where it is one of the Competition titles looking for buyers. Viñao and Freeman-Attwood say they are prioritizing partners who are interested in a theatrical release, but they are ultimately agnostic about how their work may find an audience.
“Obviously, we want a theatrical release. But ultimately, all I care about is maximum eyes on the film, so if that means YouTube and a link to every person in the Western Hemisphere, then so be it,” Viñao says with a chuckle. “Whatever it takes to get the most eyes on the film, I will do it.”
The Edinburgh Film Festival ends today.
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