Top 100 Most Anticipated American Indie Films of 2018: #55. Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s Mustang

Mustang

Not to be confused with Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s 2015 coming-of-age film, French actress Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre goes full Americana for her directorial debut. Based on Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s short film Rabbit (2014), the already prize winning Mustang shot a bit too late in the year for a Sundance premiere (she attended both Sundance Labs) with an October shoot (which at one time has Susan Sarandon attached).

Written by Clermont-Tonnerre, Brock Norman Brock (Nicolas Winding Refn’s Bronson) and filmmaker Mona Fastvold (The Sleepwalker) this sees Connie Britton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Bruce Dern, Josh Stewart, Jason Mitchell and Gideon Adlon, this see Schoenaerts star as Roman, a convict who is given the chance to participate in the rehabilitation-therapy program training wild mustangs. Roman forms a strong bond with a particularly difficult horse, which forces him to confront his harsh past and innermost demons. Cinematographer Ruben Impens (Raw and Felix van Groeningen’s works) is onboard a project that Clermont-Tonnerre considers to be influenced by Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas.

Release Date/Prediction: Focus Features might attempt to make it a second “Mustang” to find its way on the Croisette.