Tom Hiddleston has a date with destiny in the latest batch of stills for Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise, which send his Dr. Robert Laing into the depths of the director’s twisted tower of terror.
Adapted from J.G. Ballard’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Wheatley’s latest looks set to be another bold and psychedelic addition to résumé that is becoming increasingly surreal with each passing release. For the uninitiated, the eye-catching British director also helmed Kill List, Sightseers and A Field in England, and has catapulted onto the list of director’s you daren’t take your eye off even in such a short space of time.
As for High-Rise, Hiddleston’s brilliant doctor Laing is the newcomer to a residency that is masking a deep and dark secret. Relegating the lower class to the bottom floors and keeping the upper echelons of society at the tip-top, there’s a stark class disparity gnawing away at the heart of Anthony Royal Architecture’s societal microcosm.
Also starring Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss, James Purefoy, Reece Shearsmith, Peter Ferdinando and Dan Renton Skinner, it isn’t long before said arbitrary division comes crashing down, thrusting Hiddleston’s newcomer into the thick of a hateful cauldron.
A staggered distribution arrangement pushes the film’s North American bow into late 2016. Those in the UK, however, can look forward to booking an appointment in Ben Wheatley’s tower of terror when High-Rise debuts on March 18.
1975. Two miles west of London, Dr. Laing moves into his new apartment seeking soulless anonymity, only to find that the building’s residents have no intention of leaving him alone. Resigned to the complex social dynamics unfolding around him, Laing bites the bullet and becomes neighbourly. As he struggles to establish his position, Laing’s good manners and sanity disintegrate along with the building. The lights go out and the elevators fail but the party goes on. People are the problem. Booze is the currency. Sex is the panacea.