It’s very hard to tell how much the first trailer for The Driftless Area gives away, but it sure seems like it gives up a doozy of a twist within the first thirty seconds about the main character of Stella (Zooey Deschanel). That said, it looks like there’s room for at least a dozen more curveballs in this strange blend of crime thriller, melodrama, and wistful romance.
Set in a small town, the story follows a melancholic bartender named Hunter (Anton Yelchin) who finds love when he returns to his family home after the death of his parents. But this love story doesn’t feel like the usual manic pixie dream girl romance that Deschanel’s been unfairly typecast in. A sense of profound loss hangs over the trailer, as Yelchin becomes tangled with a small-town criminal played by John Hawkes, and his crew of dangerous associates.
Directed by Zachary Sluser, the film stars the aforementioned Yelchin, Deschanel, Hawkes, as well as Aubrey Plaza, Alia Shawkat, Ciarán Hinds, and Frank Langella. It remains to be seen how this all comes together, but at the very least, it’s an opportunity for comedic actors like Plaza and Shawkat to play against type in a slippery noir. Check it out below.
The Driftless Area will hit VOD and DVD on April 26th.