Rick Alverson has never been a filmmaker that could be misconstrued as mainstream. His work is usually packed with detail, experimental structure, and unique dialogue. But his most recent work, “The Mountain,” might be his most, dare I say, mainstream work to date.
In honor of Alverson’s latest drama, “The Mountain,” finally hitting theaters later this week, we’re thrilled to be able to give our readers a chance to watch an exclusive clip from the film, which not only hints at the filmmaker’s unique abilities, but also shows just how majestic Jeff Goldblum is in just about every project he’s attached to.
For those not familiar, “The Mountain” tells the story of a young photographer and a lobotomist that tour the country in 1950s America. Through their journey, they encounter various asylum patients, as well as a New Age healer that requests the mind-altering procedure for his daughter. And considering Goldblum portrays the lobotomist, who finds his life and career unraveling, there’s plenty of room for the actor to steal scene after scene. As seen in the clip, it’s clear that Goldblum does just that.
READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2019 We’ve Already Seen
The film stars Goldblum alongside Tye Sheridan and Hannah Gross. “The Mountain” is written and directed by Rick Alverson. The acclaimed filmmaker has been a festival favorite, with previous films premiering at Sundance and SXSW. “The Mountain” had its debut at last year’s Venice International Film Festival.
READ MORE: Summer Movie Preview: 35 Films You Shouldn’t Miss
We saw the film during that festival, and our review described the film as “Lanthimos meets Roy Andersson meets a heavy dose of lithium.” We also ranked the film among the Best 2019 films that have yet to be released.
“The Mountain” arrives this Friday in select theaters.
Here’s the film’s synopsis, as well as the exclusive clip and trailer:
1950s America. Since his mother’s confinement to an institution, Andy has lived in the shadow of his stoic father. A family acquaintance, Dr. Wallace Fiennes, employs the introverted young man as a photographer to document an asylum tour advocating for his increasingly controversial lobotomy procedure. As the tour progresses and Andy witnesses the doctor’s career and life unravel, he begins to identify with the institutions’ patients. Arriving at a California mountain town, a growing center of the New Age movement, they encounter an unconventional French healer who requests a lobotomy for his own daughter, Susan.