Known for his uniquely twisted vengeance trilogy that includes the mind-bending/blowing thriller Oldboy, South Korean director Chan-wook Park has drawn international praise for his violent and thought-provoking features that leave audiences with haunting moral quandaries. Now with Stoker, his first American feature, he brings together an international cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Watchmen's Matthew Goode to wind an unsettling tale of family love.
Penned by Prison Break star Wentworth Miller, Stoker stars Wasikowska as India, a cold young woman who meets her mysterious uncle (Goode) after her father has died. Both she and her less-than-loving mother (Kidman) become fascinated with Uncle Charlie, a man who knowingly seduces each to his own ends. The subject matter seems a great base for Park's skillset of crafting compelling and complex dramas, and now Entertainment Tonight offers the first look, which you can check out below thanks to The Film Stage:
From the first frame Kidman seems primed to deliver some top-notch bad mama drama as she seethes at "her unlucky daughter." Draped in long black locks, Wasikowska's dark eyes prove piercing, turning the darling ingénue into something dangerous. And Matthew Goode, who reportedly beat out Colin Firth, James Franco, Michael Fassbender and Joel Edgerton for this role, oozes menace with every smirk and tender caress. It's easy to see that the spider crawling India's saddle shoes and down the legs of the Stoker's furniture is a symbol of the wretched web dear Uncle Charlie is weaving for his newly recovered family. In short, Park's given plenty to pull us in, and in just under a minute.
Stoker hits theaters March 1st, 2013.
