If you heard there’s a movie about a horticulturalist that’s about to come out in 2023, you probably wouldn’t dwell too much on it. However, when you add the information that Master Gardener is the new movie written and directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Schrader, it completely changes the game. The story centers around a man who spends his days tending to the plants and flowers on his estate until he is asked to take on and mentor the niece of his employer—a girl who forces him to relive his troubled past.
The trailer for Master Gardener has the rhythm of a Paul Schrader movie: It starts out quite calm and, as it progresses, the dark and disturbing layers start to make their way into the narrative. The trailer also suggests we’ll be treated to stellar performances from the trio of protagonists: Sigourney Weaver (Avatar: The Way of Water), Joel Edgerton (The Underground Railroad), and Quintessa Swindell (Black Adam).
Just Like Previous Paul Schrader Films, Master Gardener Won't Be An Easy Watch
In addition, the trailer doesn’t shy away from revealing some of the themes that the movie will tackle: White supremacy is brought front and center as it gets revealed that Narvel (Edgerton) has a pretty violent past and was all tangled up with neo-Nazi crews. Light stuff. The question is, how much of this past still defines him? The movie won't be subtle at all, as it puts the protagonist in direct contact with a Black girl. But we’ll have to wait until late April to find out how this encounter will play out.
Paul Schrader Says Obama Won't Like Master Gardener
Master Gardener had early screenings in some film festivals in 2022, and its reception was on par with previous Paul Schrader titles. The director and screenwriter, who previously penned cinema classics like Taxi Driver and The Last Temptation of Christ, revealed in an interview with Indiewire that his latest movie forms a trilogy of sorts with his last productions First Reformed and The Card Counter:
“I am hitting the same kind of themes. Here’s a man who feels needs to be punished, who’s waiting for that punishment to come, and then instead hopes that punishment will be some sort of redemption. […] When you meet this guy at a bar, you don’t want to pick a fight with him. […] This one is going to piss people off. Obama’s not putting it on his top 10 list.”
Master Gardener premieres in theaters on May 19. You can watch the trailer below:
Check out the official synopsis here:
Directed by Academy Award® nominee Paul Schrader based on his original screenplay, MASTER GARDENER follows Narvel Roth (award-winner Joel Edgerton), the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens. He is as much devoted to tending the grounds of this beautiful and historic estate, to pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (three-time Academy Award® nominee Sigourney Weaver). When Mrs. Haverhill demands that he take on her wayward and troubled great-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) as a new apprentice, chaos enters Narvel’s spartan existence, unlocking dark secrets from a buried violent past that threaten them all.