Paul Schrader’s last two films, last year’s “The Card Counter” and 2018’s “First Reformed,” are among the most critically acclaimed of his career. So, will his follow-up keep the streak going? Audiences find out soon as Schrader’s next film, “Master Gardener,” hits theaters later this year.
Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver star in Schrader’s latest crime feature, and in this one, Schrader leaves behind the poker tables of “The Card Counter” for the world of horticulture in the deep South. Edgerton plays gardener to Weaver’s wealthy widow, whose dark and violent past emerges after he agrees to apprentice with Weaver’s troubled niece.
Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
Narvel Roth is 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. When Mrs. Haverhill demands that he take on her wayward and troubled great-niece Maya as a new apprentice, chaos enters Narvel’s spartan existence, unlocking dark secrets from a buried violent past that threaten them all.
“Master Gardener” also stars Quintessa Swindell as Maya and Esai Morales.
Schrader shot ‘Gardener”; earlier this year in Louisiana. The film marks a reunion with Schrader and HanWay Films after their success together on “The Card Counter.” Amanda Crittenden and Scott LaStaiti co-produce with David Gonzales, Schrader’s manager.
Both “The Card Counter” and “First Reformed” made plenty of critics’ top 10 lists in the years they came out. So, will “Master Gardener” follow suit, and will we see it by year’s end at one of the fall film festivals? One would hope so. Check out the first look of the film below.
