Why This Married Power Couple Created a Thought-Provoking Thriller

There’s so much content in the world right now. We can’t escape it. It’s on television, in advertisements, and flooding our social feeds. But in between digesting all of its excitement, we get a unique taste of art, and the amazing creatives who go above and beyond to put it out into the world. Last week I got an overdue dose while talking to power couple Chris and K.D. Chalk. The married couple are both actors and filmmakers who recently collaborated to create the suspense-filled thriller, Our Deadly Vows.

Filmed in Mount Kisco and Brooklyn, New York, Our Deadly Vows tells the story of four couples celebrating the one-year wedding anniversary of their close friends, Chance and Grace (Chris Chalk, K.D. Chalk). The intimate gathering quickly turns into a firestorm of tumultuous relationships and ultimately, murder. As guests begin to meet their untimely ends one by one, survivors must navigate a game of escape, kill or be killed as they try to uncover who or what knows their secrets — and wants them dead.

This is the first film the pair have released together (serving as what they call their film school) under their production company Golden Concorde.

K.D. reflects on the unique experience saying, “I love it. It feels like I married one of my greatest collaborators. There’s always an opportunity for us to play and bounce ideas off each other. But we had to learn how to properly communicate with each other – which we did way before filming together.”

The couple both grew up in North Carolina with a slew of similarities. When they met, they were dating other people and built a genuine friendship that would grow into what it is today. However, they admit that had they met earlier, they may have passed each other by.

“Though we come from the same place, we’re very different. We are similar but not the same. We both just respect each other’s points of views a lot. I don’t think I can do what she does and I know she can’t do what I do,” Chris says with a chuckle.

Chris is known for his powerful performances in projects like When They See Us, HBO’s Perry Mason, and his theatrical performances alongside Viola Davis and Denzel Washington in Fences. K.D. also carries a list of notable credits in projects like Days of Our Lives, The Second City Presents: the Last Show on Earth and a host of producing credits. Still, it’s clear their work on Our Deadly Vows felt uniquely special.

“We started it because my wife wasn’t working and that didn't make sense to me. So we were like, let’s make our own movie,” Chris continues. “It was fully surrounded by love and all of its leadership are people we adore.”

When asked how they hope people feel when watching the movie K.D. said, “I want people to feel seen, evaluate their relationships, evaluate how they’re choosing love for themselves and how they’re loving others. Lastly, I want them to laugh and have fun, because there’s some really funny moments.”

Through Golden Concorde they strive to connect with Black youth and put people of color and queer people in lead positions. While horror has a certain appeal to them, they plan to tap into other genres and creative outlets.

“We just want to share the important conversations we have at home publicly with the communities we love. So we’re not just being led by white capitalism,” says Chris confidently.

With that bold statement we began to delve into the Hollywood strikes, where they made their opinion very clear.

“Everyone should be aware of industry. If the richest people in the world can say I’m going to wait until you can’t breathe to give you oxygen, that’s bullshit. That’s not acting, directing, or writing, that’s rich people against poor people. People act like there’s not this massive divide of wealth, kindness, and generosity.”

The couple goes on to share how that can spread to medicine, education, and more if a resolve doesn’t happen soon. However, the duo uses art to combat those systems.

“Our Deadly Vows is for Black women. It’s for us to stand in our power and evaluate life and who is being the vampire in it. I want us to think, how can I avoid people-pleasing and stand up for myself. I didn’t always see those images growing up, so it’s a love letter to girls like me who grow into the powerful women that we are.”

Looking ahead, K.D. is excited about her upcoming short Survived By, hitting the festival circuit next year, a story she created when her father passed away and she moved back into her childhood home. And Chris is looking forward to his upcoming role where he’ll play the incomparable James Baldwin in Ryan Murphy’s Feud and a few other projects once the strike ends.

But the best way to support them right now, is to turn on Our Deadly Vows, currently on multiple streaming services. It will also be a STARZ original in November.