“Galveston,” the upcoming Mélanie Laurent -directed feature which received mention in our Fall Movie Preview, has now released a second trailer. Pulled from the Toronto International Film Festival rather last minute last week — the stars couldn’t make it so apparently, that’s enough for TIFF to pull a Gala slot —“Galveston,” actually made its debut at the SXSW Film Festival earlier this year. This heist road movie stars Ben Foster (“Hell or High Water”) as a dying hitman and Elle Fanning (“The Neon Demon,” “Twentieth Century Women”) as a prostitute held captive. Together, they head to Galveston where Foster’s character plans his revenge.
As mentioned in our first trailer piece, the film carries a solid line of individuals who each have a pretty stellar resume. Laurent, who started off her career as an actress starring in successful movies such as “Inglourious Basterds” and “Beginners,” is certainly becoming a terrific director having led some documentaries along with critically-acclaimed French films. “Galveston,” is her English-language debut feature.
Based on the novel from the creator of “True Detective,” Nic Pizzolatto, the film definitely carries a bit of Nicolas Winding Refn vibes. The vibrant colors, themes of revenge and redemption, and an anti-hero are all reflective of Danish filmmaker. And perhaps Fanning, who starred in Refn’s last film “The Neon Demon,” inspired Laurent aesthetically with this project.
The film seems to promise lots of intensity, drama, and violence. Hopefully, the relationship and complexity of between the two leading characters bleed through enough to brew an enticing road film.
Here is the official synopsis:
Roy Cady is a taciturn tough guy whose day is spiraling from bad news to worse news before it ends with him being set up during a heist. Barely escaping with his life, he notices a young woman named Rocky, who was also left behind in the bloodshed, and takes her with him. This unexpected duo hits the road trying to find a respectful space between them as they grapple with personal demons and brutal showdowns.
“Galveston” hits theaters and VOD on October 19. Watch the trailer and let us know what you think.