Jan. 07--Step into the high-speed elevator of director Ben Wheatley's adaptation of J.G. Ballard's "High-Rise" and you will be greeted with a great deal of retro horror, from the beating synths to the mirrored walls.
"High-Rise," set in 1975 (the same year the book was published), takes place inside a massive skyscraper. Inside the 40-story building tenants live surrounded by an antique perception, isolated from the outside world. So when the luxurious world inside the high-rise descends into madness, there's no one outside to hear the tenants' cries for help.
The first footage-heavy trailer of the movie -- starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth Moss, Sienna Miller and Luke Evans -- shows only flashes of what awaits the residents, choosing to highlight the building's amenities, such as a private supermarket and tennis court.
Hiddleston plays the narrator, Dr. Robert Laing, who appears to be enjoying his life of luxury. But it's easy to see (thanks to the music, the uncomfortable stares and the foreboding slow-dance moves) that everything is not as it seems.
Ballard is well-known for his bleak takes on the lush life, so it should be interesting to see how Wheatley (director of the crazed "A Field in England") interprets this story.
The trailer says the film's release date is March 18, in the United Kingdom. However there's no word on any stateside screenings.
