The first trailer for Marie Kreutzer’s Gentle Monster reveals Léa Seydoux’s life falling apart.

      Following her film Corsage, Marie Kreutzer has made her return this year with Gentle Monster, which premiered at Cannes. The drama stars Léa Seydoux, Laurence Rupp, Jella Haase, and Catherine Deneuve, and revolves around a concert pianist whose life is turned upside down when she discovers a disturbing secret within her family. A theatrical release is set to begin on October 30, with Netflix availability starting November 18, and a new trailer has been released.

      Here is the synopsis: “From director and writer Marie Kreutzer (Corsage, Austria’s submission for the 95th Academy Awards), Gentle Monster follows concert pianist Lucy (Léa Seydoux) who has recently moved her family to a country home in hopes of alleviating her husband Philip’s (Laurence Rupp) severe burnout. However, before they can settle into their new surroundings, an unexpected police visit in the early morning shatters their lives. Caught between her love for Philip and the fear of what he might have done, Lucy must confront the situation on her own as her world begins to unravel. The cast also features Jella Haase and the legendary Academy Award nominee Catherine Deneuve. Gentle Monster poses the question of what happens when someone we cherish turns out to be someone we never truly knew.”

      In her Cannes review, Savina Petkova stated, “Gentle Monster marks the Austrian director’s return to the realm of psychological drama/thriller, reminiscent of her 2019 film The Ground Beneath My Feet, but the latter might not have existed without the genre-bending Corsage. In fact, a series of events that followed the completion of the her-story period film served as the real-life inspiration for Kreutzer’s new script. Revealing more would potentially disclose too much about the plot, but for readers familiar with a certain scandal that rocked the Austrian film industry in 2023, the surprising plot twist that occurs early in Gentle Monster will not be unexpected, as the title alludes to Philip’s character. Rupp, who is primarily recognized for his television roles and the absurdist comedy Veni Vidi Vici set for 2024, bears the burden of portraying a troubled man whose desperation and bitterness are masked by love. His expressions remain unreadable and stern throughout the film as his relationship with Lucy deteriorates, and no amount of apologies can erase the scent of secrets that he carries in every scene.”

      Watch the trailer below.