'Blame' Trailer: A Taboo Relationship Sparks Rumor & Suspicion

At this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, 22 year old filmmaker Quinn Shepard made a breakthrough with her blistering and ferocious take on high-school dynamics, particularly those between teenage girls. In her first feature length film, “Blame,” she showed a deft hand in filmmaking, creating a world both familiar and completely her own, while managing to find sympathy for all of the characters involved. It’s an empathetic and intriguing picture that promises a talent to keep an eye on in coming years.

READ MORE: ‘Blame’: 22-Year-Old Filmmaker Quinn Shephard Becomes One To Watch With Her Startling Debut [Tribeca Review]

Also starring Chris Messina, Tate Donovan, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Tessa Albertson, Sarah Mezzanotte and the scene stealing Nadia Alexander, the film is set against the backdrop of teens put on a production of “The Crucible” where a taboo relationship begins to unfold. Here’s the official synopsis:

It’s the start of a new year at a small suburban high school and Abigail (Quinn Shephard) is an eternal outcast returning for the first time after a mysterious event the previous year. Facing constant bullying, Abigail escapes from her hostile surroundings by immersing herself in the worlds of the characters she reads about, much to the amusement of her manipulative classmate, Melissa (Nadia Alexander).

When the girls’ intriguing new drama teacher Jeremy (Chris Messina) announces Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible” as their fall show, and casts Abigail over Melissa in the starring role, Abigail’s confidence blooms — but soon her relationship with Jeremy begins to move beyond the fantasy world she’s constructed. This taboo bond strikes a nerve in Melissa, fueling a vengeful jealousy that quickly spirals out of control — and brings about a chain of events that draws even further parallels to the madness of Salem. The riveting debut of 22-year-old writer/director Quinn Shephard, BLAME examines the indelible stain of rumor and suspicion in the contemporary suburban high school while delving into the psyches of the cell phone generation.

The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on January 5, 2018 and will hit VOD the same day.