George Clooney and Julianne Moore on the 'slightly comedic' but 'very dark' world of Suburbicon

As two of the biggest movie stars in the business you would assume Julianne Moore and George Clooney have worked together before, but Suburbicon, directed by Clooney and starring Moore, was their first opportunity to collaborate.

The two described the chance to work together as “rewarding” and “very fun,” while elaborating on the details of the tale of a 1950s town rattled by a home invasion.

Clooney explains that the film, from a Coen Brothers script, is actually based on a true story. “When audiences understand that, they are very intrigued and very, very moved,” he tells EW.

Moore says the tonal shift in the film is what appealed to her most about the project. “You start in this interesting, slightly comedic world and then it really devolves into a true noir. It gets very, very dark,” she says.

Clooney says the central themes of the outsider and blaming the other slightly shifted over time. “When we started working on the film, it really wasn’t about race relations,” he says. “It was basically about scapegoating Mexicans and Muslims.”

The pair both agree the film is pertinent to the times we’re living in. “One of the things I think is very interesting about this movie is it really demonstrates how easy it is to look away, how easy it is to look in the wrong direction,” says Moore. “When something is happening to blame it on something else and not take responsibility for it yourself.”

Suburbicon, which also stars Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Oscar Isaac, hits theaters on Oct. 27. Watch the video above for more from Clooney and Moore.