I’M NOT HERE Trailer

J.K. Simmons is haunted by memories in I’m Not Here, moving from his usual role as supporting character actor to leading man in what is being described as “a virtuoso performance”.

The trailer indicates a story told fragmentally, and therefore rather pleasantly gives away very little in terms of plot. J.K. Simmons’ Steve appears to be housebound, with action playing out as flashbacks spurred by various memory triggers that he encounters around his home. These flashbacks bring Steve (Simmons) back to two formative times in his life – early childhood where he’s played by young Iain Armitage and early adult life where Sebastian Stan then takes on the role. The memories are a mix of pain and wonderment, with the film seeming to explore themes around family and fatherhood, alcoholism, nostalgia, and redemption.

As hinted above, it’s truly exciting to see J.K. Simmons taking on such a complex leading part. He and the rest of the cast are under the directorial purview of Michelle Schumacher, returning to the helm for the first time since 2013. It’s certainly interesting to see a female director take on such a male-centric story (after all, we see the reverse all the time; it’s far past time we thought of women as only making “women’s films”). The film did well in the 2017 festival circuit, and I’m certainly excited to see it get a slightly wider release.

I’m Not Here is directed by Michelle Schumacher and stars J.K. Simmons, Sebastian Stan, Maika Monroe, Mandy Moore, Max Greenfield, and Iain Armitage. It will be released in the USA on March 8th 2019. Further release dates and information may be found here.

Are you as excited as I am to  see J.K. Simmons step into the spotlight? Let me know in the comments.