high rise poster

High-Rise, starring Tom Hiddleston and directed by Ben Wheatley, is a film about Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston),  a young doctor who lives in an isolated and luxurious community which is contained in a high-rise building. Everything you could need or want is in your luxury high rise – one never needs to leave, why would you want to? And, of course, the higher up you are, the more power, opportunities and luxury you have. Perfect dystopian, science fiction trope to work with here.

The film is based on the book of the same name by English novelist J. G. Ballard who wrote the World War II novel Empire of the Sun which was turned into an epic movie. Ballard’s other claim to fame is his library of incredible science fiction/dystopian stories including his novel, High-Rise.

The first (super creepy) trailer for the film was a commercial for the high-rise (you can see this trailer at bottom of post). This latest trailer, however, narrated by Hiddleston is dark and angst ridden. In the 1:15 of the trailer we see Hiddleston unravel from secure comfort and anonymity to desperate survival and savagery. Also, Hiddleston dancing with some lovely flight attendants is beautiful and delicious. The art direction in this film is going to be impeccable.

Unfortunately no US release date has been set yet. It opens in the UK in March.

Wikipedia Synopsis: London, 1975. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston) is a young doctor seduced by the lifestyle in a high-rise, an isolated community, cut off from the rest of society in their luxury tower block, and its creator, the architect Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons). Taking up residence on the twenty-fifth floor, Laing discovers a world of complex loyalties, and also strikes up a relationship with Royal’s devoted aide Charlotte (Sienna Miller). After Laing befriends Richard Wilder (Luke Evans), a documentary filmmaker relegated to the second floor who is determined to provoke the class injustices inherent in the high-rise, a dangerous social situation develops and the high-rise eventually fragments into violent tribes.

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