‘Solos’ Nicole Beharie & Tiffany Johnson Tease the ‘Horror Elements’ of Their Episode

Nicole Beharie in Solos
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Amazon Studios

Each installment of Amazon’s Solos is unique, but none so much as Nicole Beharie‘s “Nera” which serves as a semi-horror episode.

The story follows Beharie’s titular character who is anticipating the birth of a child facilitated by fertility treatments that go awry. In a remote cabin and amid a blizzard, Nera goes into labor, but something isn’t quite right.

“Nera desperately wants a family and goes about it by taking an experimental fertility drug,” Beharie tells TV Insider.  “The baby comes and things go a little differently than planned.”

The uniqueness of the situation turns into a suspenseful 20-minute ordeal.

“She is afraid,” says director Tiffany Johnson. “And I think the intention was to sort of drive that a little bit, drive that fear, drive that terror.” The terror doesn’t last though as the mood shifts to something more heartwarming than anything.

Solos Nicole Beharie

(Credit: Amazon Studios)

“Once you get there and realize what’s happening… you understand what she has to do,” says Johnson.

The director reveals she was inspired by titles such as Rosemary’s Baby and Children of Men. “I kind of went back and re-watched these just intense dramas that have a little bit of those horror elements.”

For Beharie, taking on the role was a bit of a challenge she shares. “I do like to put myself out there, so I was scared in a way… and that’s always a reason to say yes.” One of the more peculiar aspects of the job? Working with an animatronic baby. “That thing was so weird,” laughs Beharie. “You can’t hear it [in the episode], but it’s animatronic, so it’s making all these sounds and then they covered it in belly jelly.”

Solos Amazon Nicole Beharie

(Credit: Amazon Studios)

“You have to act like it’s your newborn child and you love it. But those are the fun things about what we do, this is what I get to do with my time. I get to make-believe with an animatronic baby.” It’s easier to make-believe with living humans though, and that’s part of this wacky storyline as well.

Ultimately, “Nera” is about “a woman who is seeking a connection and not wanting to be alone, and this is her hope for that,” says Johnson. “This an unfortunate experiment kind of gone wrong, that at the end, she uses and embraces.”

Solos, Streaming now, Amazon Prime Video

Solos - Amazon Prime Video

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