Hypnotic New High-Rise Trailer Finds Tom Hiddleston Consumed By Insanity

Tom Hiddleston checks into Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise in today’s new teaser, though any hope of finding a state of happiness in his new home soon come crashing down – and fast.

For Wheatley’s latest dark and brooding entry into a growing résumé of complex dramas, Hiddleston assumes the role of Dr. Robert Laing, a newcomer to the Orwellian microcosm constructed by fictional conglomerate Anthony Royal Architecture. Jeremy Irons plays the part of the title visionary behind the monolithic tower block, who becomes the chief target when the building’s three-tier class structure begins to dissolve.

Lifted from the pages of J.G. Ballard’s acclaimed novel, High-Rise is being adapted to the screen by Amy Jump and presents exactly the kind of multi-faceted material that allows Wheatley to flourish. From today’s trailer alone, we catch glimpses of the director’s unsettling visual style, challenging the macabre tenets that cropped up across Sightseers and particularly Kill List.

StudioCanal is primed to debut High-Rise in UK theaters on March 18, and we expect to hear word of a US theatrical release shortly thereafter. In the meantime, you can feast your eyes on film’s stark crimson poster from yesterday. Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss, James Purefoy, Reece Shearsmith, Peter Ferdinando and Dan Renton Skinner complete the cast.

1975. Two miles west of London, Dr. Laing moves into his new apartment seeking soulless anonymity, only to find that the building’s residents have no intention of leaving him alone. Resigned to the complex social dynamics unfolding around him, Laing bites the bullet and becomes neighbourly. As he struggles to establish his position, Laing’s good manners and sanity disintegrate along with the building. The lights go out and the elevators fail but the party goes on. People are the problem. Booze is the currency. Sex is the panacea.