Neon has released the first trailer forChinonye Chukwu’s acclaimed death row dramaClemency, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance earlier this year, making her the first black woman to win top honors at that festival.
Alfre Woodardhas earned rave reviews for her turn as prison warden Bernadine Williams. Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on Bernadine and as she prepares to execute another inmate, she must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.
Aldis Hodgeplays the condemned prisoner, and the rest of the supporting cast includesRichard Schiff,Wendell Pierce,Danielle BrooksandRichard Gunn. Woodard and Hodge are expected to be in the thick of the awards race this fall, and while the latter actor is a rising star in search of his first nomination, Woodard was actually nominated once before, for 1983’sCross Creek. In the interim, she has won four Emmys and a Golden Globe, so she is well-respected by her peers.
Neon is preparing for a busy fall, as the boutique distributor will also be releasingBong Joon-ho’sParasiteandCeline Sciamma’s romantic dramaPortrait of a Lady on Fire. That’s a strong trio of awards contenders right there for Neon, which also released the best movie I’ve seen all year inWild Rose. There are also wonderful performances inLuce,Little WoodsandThe Beach Bum, while documentariesApollo 11andBiggest Little Farmboth scored with audiences, so who knows what nominations the Academy will bestow upon Neon’s slate.
Neon will releaseClemencyin theaters on Dec. 27, making it the last – but certainly not least – release of 2019. Judging from the trailer below, it looks like we’ll be ending the year with a thought-provoking bang about capital punishment. If that’s the kind of subject that interests you, check outthis trailerforEd Zwick’sTrial by FirestarringJack O’ConnellandLaura Dern.
