THRU MAY – Mayan Theatre
You Were Never Really Here is a hard-edged thriller starring Joaquin Phoenix (Her, The Master, Walk the Line) as Joe, a brutal and tormented enforcer on a rescue mission. Unafraid of violence, the traumatized veteran ruthlessly tracks down missing girls for a living. But when one of his jobs—trying to save a politician’s pre-teen daughter (Ekaterina Samsonov) from a sex trafficking ring—goes wrong, Joe’s nightmares overtake him; a conspiracy is uncovered, leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening. Phoenix’s stunningly powerful performance as a damaged soul was honored with a Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. Auteur writer/director Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Morvern Callar, Ratcatcher) was also awarded Best Screenplay at the same festival. Her stripped-down direction moves the story at a propulsive pace, in an impressionistic style that reveals Joe’s desperate mindset. Music by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood (Phantom Thread). Based on the novel by Jonathan Ames.