By Paul Salfen, Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine
In an exclusive chat with AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen, Olivia Taylor Dudley couldn’t stop smiling as she recounted the wild ride that is TOUCH ME. The psychosexual horror-comedy—written and directed by Addison Heimann—lands in limited theaters today, March 27, 2026, and hits on-demand and digital platforms April 7, 2026. And if the buzz from its Sundance premiere is any indication, audiences are in for one unforgettable trip.
The hook that got her hooked A producer she’d worked with before rang her up: “Liv, I know you’re into weird stuff.” Dudley read the script and burst out laughing—something she says is rare. “I was having an experience while reading it,” she told Salfen. Then came the conversation with director Heimann. What sealed the deal? His genuine care for the film’s deeper layers. “When I realized how important [the mental health and trauma aspects]were to him, I was like, yeah, it’s a yes. It’s a no-brainer. There’s no other movie like it.”
Horror, sci-fi, musical numbers… and alien tentacle sex That’s right—TOUCH ME throws everything at the wall and somehow makes it stick. After a house disaster leaves co-dependent besties Joey (Dudley) and Craig homeless, Joey’s hot alien ex, Brian, reappears. His magical touch erases anxiety and depression. The trio heads to his compound for a “healing” weekend that spirals into murder, mayhem, blood, and some very unconventional lovemaking.
Dudley was hands-on as both star and producer, especially when it came to the now-infamous tentacle scene. She and Heimann collaborated from day one to make sure it felt beautiful and earned, not gratuitous. “Shooting sex scenes is not sexy,” she laughed, describing a set full of tired crew members puppeteering fake tentacles. But when they locked picture? “We really like when we put it together… this is like, actually kind of beautiful.”
The monologue that almost broke her The film opens with an unbroken 8.5-minute monologue. Dudley is dyslexic, so memorization is never easy—and she had just five days of prep. The schedule put the scene first on day one. She nailed it in take one. “I embodied her during that take,” she said. “I’m just so proud that it turned out.” (They shot it four more times anyway, but the first take is what’s in the movie.)
Real pain wrapped in wild joy Heimann’s director’s statement is refreshingly honest: the story was born from his own depression, OCD, and a brutal friendship breakup. He wanted to explore living with mental illness instead of wishing it away with a magic cure. Dudley hopes audiences walk out both entertained and seen. “It’s dealing with mental health and addiction and codependency… I hope people are able to reflect on their own life and feel seen.”
The midnight crowd at Sundance roared with laughter, proving the film’s wild tone lands. Dudley calls the entire shoot a joy: “It felt special… for all of the artists involved.”
Her advice to the next generation With a career that already includes creating her own web series before YouTube was even a thing, Dudley’s message is clear: “Just got to find your own voice and make your own things… keep making their own things and finding their own voice.” She thrives on set (“Everything else is hard… being on a set that’s easy”) and is currently developing several projects where she’s starring, producing, and—one she’s writing herself—directing.
Don’t miss it TOUCH ME is not for everyone, but as Dudley puts it, “the people that are going to connect with it are really going to connect with it—which is the best we can hope for.”
Starring Olivia Taylor Dudley alongside Lou Taylor Pucci, Jordan Gavaris, Marlene Forte, and Paget Brewster, this 100-minute, not-rated fever dream is a love letter to 1960s–70s Japanese cinema, to those battling invisible struggles, and to anyone who’s ever wanted a shortcut out of their own pain.
Catch it in theaters now or on digital April 2. And keep an eye on Olivia Taylor Dudley—she’s just getting started.
Interview conducted by Paul Salfen for AMFM Magazine. All quotes from the exclusive conversation.
About Paul Salfen: Paul Salfen is a Dallas-based TV host, producer, editor, writer, and consultant who currently holds the positions of co-host of Drew Pearson Live on KTXD (London Broadcasting), co-host of The ANE Show on iHeartMedia, and producer/writer for AMFM Magazine.
About Christine Thompson: Christine Thompson is the Founder/Editor-In-Chief, Writer and Video Editor of AMFM Magazine and AMFM Studios LLC.
