“You Were Never Really Here,” a thriller written and directed by Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay and starring Joaquin Phoenix had its New York premiere last Tuesday, at the Metrograph Theater in the Lower East Side.
The film first premiered at the 70th Cannes Film Festival where it won the Best Screenplay award and Joaquin Phoenix won for Best Actor. Based on the book of the same name by Jonathan Ames and produced by Amazon Studios the film also stars Ekaterina Samsonov, Alex Manette, John Doman, and Judith Roberts.
Ramsay and Phoenix were in attendance along with the support of Phoenix’s girlfriend and fellow actress Rooney Mara. Also in attendance were actresses Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov, and Chloe Sevigny.
The film follows a traumatized veteran and former-FBI agent, played by Phoenix, who rescued missing trafficked girls sold as sex slaves to a rich and ruthless powerful New York elite. Phoenix’s character who suffers from PTSD eventually becomes involved in a conspiracy as he tries to save a little girl named Nina, played by Ekaterina Samsonov. When the job spirals out of control and corruption unfold, Joe’s haunted past overtakes him leading to what may be his death trip or awakening.
The film hit select Los Angeles and New York theaters this past Friday and will open to wider audiences on April 20th.
