The first trailer for director Richard Linklater’s (Dazed and Confused) new dark comedy Bernie has gone online. Based on a true story, the film stars Jack Black as an assistant funeral director of a small Texas town who wooed and then murdered a cantankerous, affluent widow. I’m a big fan of Linklater’s work, and while I was wary of Bernie after getting a look at the first poster, I really like this trailer. It’s strange, it’s weird, and it’s really funny. Matthew McConaughey is in fine form here as the one person in town who suspects that Bernie is in the wrong, and Shirley MacLaine looks to be wonderfully crabby as the victim of Bernie’s crime. I like the almost documentary-like style that Linklater uses to tell the story (not found footage), and I can’t wait to see more.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. Bernie opens April 27th.

Click over to Yahoo! to watch the trailer in HD.

Here’s the synopsis for Bernie:

In the tiny, rural town of Carthage, TX, assistant funeral director Bernie Tiede was one of the town’s most beloved residents.  He taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone loved and appreciated Bernie, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent, an affluent widow who was as well known for her sour attitude as her fortune. Bernie frequently traveled with Marjorie and even managed her banking affairs. Marjorie quickly became fully dependant on Bernie and his generosity and Bernie struggled to meet her increasing demands. Bernie continued to handle her affairs, and the townspeople went months without seeing Marjorie. The people of Carthage were shocked when it was reported that Marjorie Nugent had been dead for some time, and Bernie Tiede was being charged with the murder.

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