AMERICAN HONEY Trailer

The wide world of films have long held a place for the meandering soul-searcher. They’re characters that move aimlessly through the world with no end goal in sight. Perhaps they’ve become disillusioned with the world as it is, or perhaps, like in American Honey, they are too young to know all the directions they could go. It’s a difficult plot to pull off; while all stories need uncertainty, they also need resolution, and these characters are stuck looking for a start.

A satisfying ending to these movies relies on the audience becoming intimately invested in character and situation. Few writer/directors working today pull off intimacy like Andrea Arnold. She brings her characters up close, not just in the frame but also in detail. Look at the way bodies move in this trailer. It’s as expressive as the people’s faces and the music its paired with. It’s these extra details that make the whole thing so vibrant and arresting.

As with Arnold’s earlier film Fish Tank, she plucked a newcomer for the lead role. But don’t worry, Sasha Lane and the entire film earned strong reviews this year at the Cannes Film Festival, taking home the Jury Prize. Admirers and detractors often cited the immersive or punishing 162 minute runtime. Depending on your point of view, but those who are enraptured by the film likely won’t notice the time slipping by. Arnold’s done that to me before, and I’m betting American Honey will be another in a long list of successes for the skilled writer/director.

American Honey is directed by Andrea Arnold and stars Sasha Lane and Shia LaBeouf. It will be released later this year, but specific dates are not currently known.

Do you think American Honey will be engrossing? Let us know in the comments!