Netflix has set a release date for “Gentle Monster,” the Cannes breakout starring Léa Seydoux, revealed to Variety exclusively.
The drama from writer-director Marie Kreutzer opens in select theaters Oct. 30 before beginning its streaming rollout Nov. 30 in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and New Zealand.
Seydoux stars as Lucy, a concert pianist who has just moved her family to a country house in hopes of easing the severe burnout of her husband Philip (Laurence Rupp). Before they can settle in, an early morning visit from police upends their lives, leaving Lucy caught between the man she loves and her fear of what he may have done. As her world comes apart, she is left to face the fallout alone. The cast also includes Jella Haase and Oscar nominee Catherine Deneuve.
Kreutzer last directed “Corsage,” which Austria submitted for the 95th Academy Awards.
In Variety’s review, Jessica Kiang praised Seydoux’s performance, calling it an “undeniably compelling commitment to her character’s horror and heartbreak.”
A respected and acclaimed performer, Seydoux shared the 2013 Palme d’Or with director Abdellatif Kechiche and co-star Adèle Exarchopoulos for “Blue Is the Warmest Color,” the only time in the festival’s history that the top prize has been extended to performers. The two actors remain among the small group of women to have won the award, alongside directors Jane Campion (“The Piano”), Julia Ducournau (“Titane”) and Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”).
Following its Cannes debut, where it was acquired by Netflix, “Gentle Monster” will continue its festival run at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it is listed as a Canadian premiere. That designation typically signals a stop at Telluride over Labor Day weekend, though the Colorado festival does not announce its lineup until the eve of the event.