In between starring in critically acclaimed dramas and inspiring Internet memes, Ryan Gosling found some time to write, direct, and produce a film. Lost River (formerly titled How To Catch A Monster) is set to premiere later this week at Cannes, and this short teaser offers a first glimpse.
While Lost River is about a single mother and her teenage son who discover a secret underwater town, this trailer is most about burning bikes and muscles. In press notes, Gosling explains, “I’ve gone between acting in films completely based in reality with Derek Cianfrance to the fevered dreams of Nicolas Winding Refn. I think I’ve vacillated between these two extremes because my own sensibilities as a filmmaker lay somewhere in-between.”
This teaser falls decidedly on the surreal part of the spectrum. Dreamlike images are threaded together to create a tableau of teenage panic and insecurity. Absent from the trailer are stars Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, Ben Mendelsohn, and Eva Mendes, allowing Iain De Caestecker (Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) to take center stage. Fans of both geeky TV shows and nonlinear storytelling should get excited.