2013 Sundance Film Festival Predictions: Chan-wook Park’s Stoker

Despite having shown a pair of his films (Old Boy and Three…Extremes) at the 2005’s edition, I would normally not have even consider including Stoker and its all-star cast of Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska, Dermot Mulroney, Matthew Goode, Jacki Weaver, Lucas Till and Alden Ehrenreich for this Sundance predictions line-up, but once Fox Searchlight flagged this as a February 28th release, my first thought was: where else besides Berlin would this Chan-wook Park might hit? The trailer gives us the impression that is his first English language project is a moody, stylized one and certainly would be a main attraction for the fest. Chances are slim.

Gist: Written by Wentworth Miller, after India’s (Wasikowska) father dies in an auto accident, her Uncle Charlie (Goode), who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her emotionally unstable mother (Kidman). Soon after his arrival, she comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives, but instead of feeling outrage or horror, this friendless girl becomes increasingly infatuated with him.

Production Co./Producers: Michael Costigan and Scott Free’s Ridley and Tony Scott (R.I.P)

Prediction: Premieres section

U.S. Distributor : Fox Searchlight