After the critical success of “A Portrait of a Lady On Fire” two years ago, it’s no surprise that there’s a modest influx of lesbian-themed period pieces following in that film’s lofty wake. Two upcoming movies certainly fit that mold, and arguably the more anticipated is Mona Fastvold‘s “The World To Come” (“Ammonite” being the other).
“The World To Come” has serious buzz following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival last September. It won the festival’s Queer Lion award for best LGBTQ-themed film, and critics have showered the movie with near-universal praise before its theatrical release. It begs the question: is Fastvold’s film up to the challenge of competing with Céline Sciamma‘s masterpiece?
Adapted from a short story by Jim Shephard, who co-wrote the screenplay with novelist Ron Hanson, “The World To Come” portrays queer intimacy on the American east coast frontier. Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby star as two married women drawn to each other amid the isolating and unforgiving landscape. Christopher Abbott and Casey Affleck co-star as their husbands.
Here’s the official synopsis:
In this powerful 19th century romance set in the American Northeast, Abigail (Katherine Waterston), a farmer’s wife, and her new neighbor Tallie (Vanessa Kirby) find themselves irrevocably drawn to each other. A grieving Abigail tends to her withdrawn husband Dyer (Casey Affleck) as free-spirit Tallie bristles at the jealous control of her husband Finney (Christopher Abbott), when together their intimacy begins to fill a void in each other’s lives they never knew existed. Directed by Mona Fastvold and scripted by Jim Shepard and Ron Hansen, THE WORLD TO COME explores how isolation is overcome by the intensity of human connection.
Shephard and Hansen bring a literary pedigree to “The World To Come.” This film is the first of Shephard’s decorated stories to be adapted into a feature film. However, Hansen already had a novel of his adapted to much critical acclaim: 2007’s “The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.”
Mona Fastvold also brings a distinct sensibility to the film. She’s worked with Abbott before in her debut film “The Sleepwalker” from 2014, also starring her partner Brady Corbet. She co-wrote the screenplay of Corbet’s “Childhood Of A Leader,” as well as the story for his latest film, “Vox Lux.”
Will this potent combination of literary talent and independent filmmaking make “The World To Come” the 2021 answer to Sciamma’s 2018 queer-drama masterclass? Audiences find out on February 12, when the movie releases via Bleeker Street.