For moviegoers, American Honey is a compelling new film that takes a look at the carefree youth of America — for its stars though, this was real life for two months.

Sasha Lane and Riley Keough embarked on a summer road trip to shoot this Andrea Arnold film about a ragtag group of adolescents moving through the underbelly of America's underclass. The experience may have ended months ago but it left an emotional impact on its cast.

Upon hearing a song used in the film, Calvin Harris and Rihanna's We Found Love, Keough admits to feeling overwhelmed: "It's literally like the floodgates are opened, like post-traumatic stress disorder."

Movie debut for Sasha Lane

This film also marks a special achievement for Lane as this is her first film ever. After being scouted by Arnold during a spring break trip, Lane felt comforted by fact that she was handpicked for her unique personality and what she brought to the role.

"Towards the end of the week that I spent with her, I felt really whole," Lane explains, of meeting Arnold. "People don't have a lot of hope in me in terms of how I looked and how I acted and how I thought and Andrea was the main one who was like, I want you for this role because you are who you are and you're beautiful."

American Honey opens in theatres in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver on Oct. 14, and will hit theatres nationwide on Oct. 28.