Premiering at Sundance earlier this year, The Free World marks the directorial debut from Jason Lew (Restless), and IFC Films has now released the first trailer. The film begins as a study of rehabilitation as ex-con Mo (Boyd Holbrook) works at an animal shelter under the tutelage of Linda (Octavia Spencer), clearing cages and shows a tender care for the battered animals brought in. One day, Doris (Elisabeth Moss) brings in her dog Charlie, seemingly beaten by her aggressive hothead police officer husband. Things then start to spiral downhill for our characters from there.
I said in my review, “The greatest southern gothic tales feature richly detailed atmosphere dripping with a strong sense of location. Night of the Hunter and other classics certainly fit the category, and the fairly recent Sundance drama Ain’t Them Bodies Saints was a fine example, featuring characters that, whether in a doomed romance or not, feel destined for one another. On paper, The Free World seemingly has all the necessary ingredients, yet the drama stumbles out of the gate with cliche after cliche, even when it tries to change things up with a sharp dramatic turn.”
Check out the trailer below for the film also starring Sung Kang.
How hard would you fight to be free? After spending two decades in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Mo (Boyd Holbrook) struggles to put his past behind him as he readjusts to a new life working in an animal shelter. Doris (Elisabeth Moss) is trapped in another sort of prison: an abusive marriage. A dramatic encounter brings these two troubled souls together, and a possible murder connects them. Soon, Mo finds himself risking everything—including being locked up once again for someone else’s crime—to protect the fragile Doris. Driven by explosive performances from Elisabeth Moss and rising star Boyd Holbrook, the feature debut from director Jason Lew is a gripping, mood-drenched exploration of guilt, redemption, and what it means to be free. Academy Award® winner Octavia Spencer and Sung Kang costar.
The Free World opens on September 23rd in theaters and on VOD.