‘The Square’ Trailer Turns the Art World Upside Down

The list of recent winners of the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, includes Dancer in the Dark, The Pianist, Elephant, and The Tree of Life. So, y’know, like, fairly decent movies. This year’s winner was The Square, Ruben Ostlund’s follow-up to his terrific domestic drama Force Majure, about a marital crisis set off by an avalanche. His new film, which was one of the most hotly-debated titles at Cannes 2017, arrives on U.S. shores in October and today we got the first U.S. trailer for it.

You probably spotted Elisabeth Moss in the trailer in a key role, but Dominic West is in there as well, somewhat unrecognizable in his brief appearance thanks to a beard. Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Christian is the respected curator of a contemporary art museum, a divorced but devoted father of two who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next show is “The Square”, an installation which invites passersby to altruism, reminding them of their role as responsible fellow human beings. But sometimes, it is difficult to live up to your own ideals: Christian’s foolish response to the theft of his phone drags him into shameful situations. Meanwhile, the museum's PR agency has created an unexpected campaign for ”The Square”. The response is overblown and sends Christian, as well as the museum, into an existential crisis.

The Square wasn’t uniformly praised at Cannes (at Rotten Tomatoes it currently has a score of 72). But loved or hated, it wasn’t a movie that was easily or quickly dismissed. I’m looking forward to seeing it for myself and joining the discussion when the film opens in theaters on October 27.