Two weeks out from its bow in select theaters, IFC Films has dropped the first trailer for Jason Lew’s (Restless) poignant drama The Free World, which sees Elisabeth Moss and Boyd Holbrook fighting two very different forms of abuse.
Holbrook, for instance, plays ex-con Mo who takes the defining first steps towards starting a new life by working in an animal shelter, overseeing the protection of wounded or stray pets under the guidance of Octavia Spencer’s character. Meanwhile, Doris (Elisabeth Moss) has her own cross to carry, symbolizing a pain that so often originates from her abusive relationship with her hothead police officer of a husband.
Those two paths cross when Doris pays a visit to Mo’s animal shelter, but will their budding friendship help or hinder each respective predicament? Today’s first trailer hints that it could well be the latter.
Jason Lew will beckon viewers toward The Free World on September 23, when the low-key drama releases via select theaters and on VOD. Sung Kang also stars, and you can find the official synopsis buried beneath the sepia-tinged poster, below.
How hard would you fight to be free? After spending two decades in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Mo (Boyd Holbrook) struggles to put his past behind him as he readjusts to a new life working in an animal shelter. Doris (Elisabeth Moss) is trapped in another sort of prison: an abusive marriage. A dramatic encounter brings these two troubled souls together, and a possible murder connects them. Soon, Mo finds himself risking everything—including being locked up once again for someone else’s crime—to protect the fragile Doris. Driven by explosive performances from Elisabeth Moss and rising star Boyd Holbrook, the feature debut from director Jason Lew is a gripping, mood-drenched exploration of guilt, redemption, and what it means to be free. Academy Award® winner Octavia Spencer and Sung Kang costar.
