“The nandina is a species of flower and plant native to eastern Asia,” we’re told. “The smell at certain times of the year gives you a real buzz — like the buzz you get just before pulling the trigger.”
Here is the first trailer for Master Gardener, writer-director Paul Schrader’s feature starring Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver and Quintessa Swindell that premiered at Venice last year. Have a look at the video above and the poster below.
The crime thriller scripted by Schrader — marking the last film in his trilogy that includes First Reformed and The Card Counter — follows Narvel Roth (Loving‘s Joel Edgerton), the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens. He is as much devoted to tending the grounds of this beautiful and historic estate as to pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (Avatar‘s Sigourney Weaver). When she demands that he take on her wayward and troubled great-niece Maya (Black Adam‘s Quintessa Swindell) as a new apprentice, chaos enters Narvel’s spartan existence, unlocking dark secrets from a buried violent past that threaten them all. Esai Morales also stars.
“You talk a lot of shit,” Maya tells Narvel, “but there’s one thing you don’t talk about.”
“What’s that?” he asks.
“Yourself.”
“Well, there’s not much to know.”
Uh, we beg to differ. Apparently he was a a white supremacist gun-for-hire who “put the deep six on nine bad guys.” Narvel’s reply? “Well, that was a long time ago.”
Produced by Scott LaStiati, Luisa Lw and David Gonzales, the film is from Magnolia Pictures and Hanway Films in association with Ottocento Films,. Northern Lights, Kojo Studios and Flickstar. Magnolia, which acquired the pic in November, will release it May 19 in theaters. Read Deadline’s review from the Lido here.
