JP: Ryan bemoans his clean, sterile family and is attracted to Joel’s dark and violent world. What is going on with Ryan? Is he just immature or is there something else there?

Ian Hilgendorf: For me, Ryan’s attraction to Joel is in their differences. Joel is a doer and Ryan merely a participant, a sad onlooker. He longs to be someone who “knows” things but finds himself inadequate. Certainly that speaks to his level of immiturity but I think at one point or another almost everyone loves someone they shouldn’t, don’t you think? Someone a little dangerous…