The films of director Yorgos Lanthimos are an acquired taste. Usually set in weirdly dystopian worlds that are only vaguely rooted in reality, the Greek auteur has developed a substantial following thanks to his pitch-black comedy and strangely imaginative concepts. Lanthimos' films are unmistakably his work, but they're also the polar opposite of mainstream. Even though 2016's The Lobster gave the filmmaker his first Oscar nomination for his Original Screenplay, it remains a divisive and challenging work. Last year's The Killing of a Sacred Deer earned Lanthimos few fans, despite my personal love for it as the darkest of dark comedies. Simply put, you wouldn't expect a new Lanthimos project to jump to the top of the Oscar charts. But that's precisely what has happened with The Favourite, a Lanthimosian royal saga of absurd proportions. Fox Searchlight will reportedly give the director's latest a major awards push in the fall, starting with the festival circuit in just a few months. Earlier today, the studio released a brief teaser trailer for the film- watch it below!
When I pressed play on the teaser for what is being labeled as a "commercial" Lanthimos outing, I was expecting a small taste of his sensibilities in a much more familiar package. Shockingly enough, this is full-blown Lanthimos- weird, absurd, satirical, and flat-out ridiculous. Granted, I haven't seen the final product yet, but does Fox Searchlight really think this will connect with awards voters just because there's a royal element? I'm not so sure. But then again, this new-look Academy is shaking things up in a significant fashion, so maybe there's a growing Lanthimos contingent in the voting membership.
Regardless of the awards buzz, I couldn't be more thrilled to check out The Favourite. As someone who has both struggled and adored the director's work in the past (I love Sacred Deer, but I'm mixed on Lobster), I always welcome a new dip into his world of human foolishness and gorgeously framed madness. Obviously this teaser trailer is light on plot details, but watching Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz do their thing is more than enough to sell me.
"I should have you stripped and whipped."
"I'm waiting."
I cackled. This looks delightful.
The Favourite opens in theaters in limited release on November 23. Look for it to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
When I pressed play on the teaser for what is being labeled as a "commercial" Lanthimos outing, I was expecting a small taste of his sensibilities in a much more familiar package. Shockingly enough, this is full-blown Lanthimos- weird, absurd, satirical, and flat-out ridiculous. Granted, I haven't seen the final product yet, but does Fox Searchlight really think this will connect with awards voters just because there's a royal element? I'm not so sure. But then again, this new-look Academy is shaking things up in a significant fashion, so maybe there's a growing Lanthimos contingent in the voting membership.
Regardless of the awards buzz, I couldn't be more thrilled to check out The Favourite. As someone who has both struggled and adored the director's work in the past (I love Sacred Deer, but I'm mixed on Lobster), I always welcome a new dip into his world of human foolishness and gorgeously framed madness. Obviously this teaser trailer is light on plot details, but watching Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz do their thing is more than enough to sell me.
"I should have you stripped and whipped."
"I'm waiting."
I cackled. This looks delightful.
The Favourite opens in theaters in limited release on November 23. Look for it to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
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