Director Niclas Larsson on Casting Lara Flynn Boyle for “Mother, Couch”

Director Niclas Larsson didn’t hold back when approaching the reclusive Lara Flynn Boyle for his new film “Mother, Couch.”

“I needed someone for the character to be broken,” Larsson explains. “Instead of having someone fake brokenness, I researched who is really broken and discussed it openly with Lara.”

He adds, “I went back to the ‘90s. My mother was a hairdresser and always had celebrity magazines around. Lara was on the cover throughout my childhood. Hollywood exploited her. That’s what they do with starlets.”

Boyle stars alongside Ewan McGregor and Rhys Ifans as siblings who reunite when their mother, played by Ellen Burstyn, sits on a couch in a furniture store and refuses to leave.

“I didn’t want any verbal characterization between the siblings to inform the audience of where Lara’s character comes from,” Larsson says. “I just needed a close-up.”

Despite not being very active in the industry, Boyle signed on quickly. The only real challenge was convincing her to dye her hair blonde. “She asked if she could use a wig,” says Larsson. “But because of Ellen, we couldn’t use a wig.”

Burstyn wears a platinum blonde wig in the movie that demands attention. It’s worn tilted and heavily hairsprayed, almost becoming its own character. “When you see a wig like that, it’s clear the person is mad,” Larsson remarks. “Ellen picked the wig. At first, I didn’t love it.”

Without divulging spoilers, Larsson eventually agreed to the wig after much deliberation. “In retrospect, it was the best choice ever.”

“Mother, Couch” marks Larsson’s debut in feature film direction. He previously gained recognition for commercial work and several shorts, including two for Vogue featuring Alicia Vikander and Anna Wintour.

A former child actor in Sweden, the 33-year-old Larsson now resides in New York City and considers Spike Jonze a mentor.

“Mother, Couch” is difficult to classify. Is it a comedy? A dark comedy? A dramedy? Larsson sees it as a horror film inspired by “The Shining.”

“I felt it was important to take a big swing,” he says. “Everything is so safe and generic right now. As a young filmmaker, we can’t be scared. If anyone should take big swings, it’s young filmmakers.”

“I miss the days when young filmmakers didn’t care about critics or necessarily the audience. They just made the movie they wanted,” he continues. “I wrote the craziest movie I could think of. It’s not for everybody, but for those it’s for, I think they’ll really like it.”

Larsson doesn’t begrudge mainstream movies. He loves “Freaky Friday” and wishes he could direct the upcoming sequel with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. “I told my agent that if they remake ‘13 Going on 30,’ I should be the one,” he says. “I’d love to do that.”