Chances are that you’ve already seen one trailer for a movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch this week, with the first promo for Spider-Man: No Way Home racking up an incredible 355 million views in the first 24 hours it was available, generating plenty of buzz, hype, speculation and fan theories in the process.
While Netflix drama The Power of the Dog is only going to amass a fraction of that audience, it’s nonetheless shaping up to be one of the actor’s best-ever performances, which is no mean feat for an Academy Award nominee with a string of acclaimed roles under his belt.
Directed by The Piano and The Top of the Lake‘s Jane Campion and adapted from the novel of the same name by Thomas Savage, the plot unfolds in 1920s Montana and follows Cumberbatch’s vengeful rancher Phil Burbank. Infuriated by the arrival of his brother on the property, who brings his new wife and her son with him after her first husband passed away, there’s tension right from the outset.
Family drama, friction and no shortage of tragedy will naturally ensue, and while the footage doesn’t give away too much plot-wise, it’s packing plenty of sweeping visuals and no shortage of atmosphere. The ensemble cast is stacked with established names and rising stars like Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee and more, with The Power of the Dog having plenty of potential to be an awards season contender for Netflix when it premieres on November 17th.
