Time, memory, and material have always been slippery concepts in the cinema of Mark Jenkin, a director whose films feel physically handmade, as though they’ve been unearthed rather than produced. The official trailer for “Rose Of Nevada” has arrived, and it signals another uncanny drift into the filmmaker’s singular, analog-driven storytelling language.
READ MORE: The 150 Most Anticipated Films Of 2026
The premise taps directly into Jenkin’s long-running fascination with hauntings — not just of people, but of places, objects, and even time itself. In the film, three decades ago, the Rose of Nevada vanished at sea along with its crew. Now, inexplicably, it has returned. In a remote fishing village still reeling from economic devastation, the ship’s reappearance is embraced less as a mystery than a miracle, an omen of potential renewal for a struggling community.
Joining the revived voyage are Nick, played by George MacKay, a man desperate to provide for his young family, and Liam, portrayed by Callum Turner, a drifter whose past lingers like an unspoken warning. A successful trip to sea initially suggests stability, only for the film’s central rupture to emerge upon their return to harbor, where reality itself appears unsettled.
Jenkin once again wears nearly every creative hat, writing, directing, editing, and scoring the film. Shot on a 16mm Bolex camera with sound constructed entirely in post-production, “Rose Of Nevada” continues the tactile, textural aesthetic that defined “Bait” and “Enys Men.” That analog rigor isn’t just stylistic branding; it’s central to the director’s worldview. The grain, instability, and physicality of celluloid become narrative tools, reinforcing themes of temporal distortion and perceptual drift.
With each film, Jenkin further distances himself from conventional British indie filmmaking, carving out a body of work that feels closer to experimental folk horror, coastal ghost story, and cinematic séance. “Rose Of Nevada” appears poised to extend that trajectory.
The film will open in theaters on June 19 via 1-2 Special and BFI. Watch the first trailer below.
