Well, we will say this. You ain't seen Blake Lively or Chloë Moretz — or hell, most of the other cast really — in anything like this before. Whether it all works or not is entirely a different matter, but the red band trailer for "Hick" is sure to grab your attention.
Soundtracked to some relentlessly twangy guitar with words like BRUTAL, EMOTIONAL and CONTROVERSIAL splashing across the screen, Phase 4 Films really want to push that this is one gritty tale. And on paper at least, it is. Directed by Derick Martini (”Lymelife”), the film is an adaptation of Andrea Portes’ coming-of-age novel of the same name (she penned the script as well). The story revolves around Luli (Moretz), a 13-year-old Nebraskan girl, and her hard-going life on the road after she runs away from her neglectful parents and home. She’s taken in by Glenda (Lively), a hard-living grifter who takes Luli under her wing.
And it seems their adventures have them crossing paths with some seriously shady dudes, with everyone sporting an outrageous accent as they race around in station wagons and pick-up trucks and lodge in fleabag motels. The threat of sexual violence also lingers in the air, while the overall tone actually reminded this writer a little bit of "Killer Joe" (though whether it's as good as that movie remains to be seen). Our man at TIFF sorta hated it saying, "it's a black blot of shame for everyone who had a part in its making." Ouch.
But judge for yourself when the movie goes UltraVOD on May 8th before rolling into theaters on May 11th. Watch below.
