The First Look At Scarlet Johansson’s New Film Is Here And It Isn’t One To Miss
If you saw 2019’s heartbreaking Marriage Story, you know what a powerhouse duo Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver can be onscreen- and now they’ve reunited this year for a quite different type of film. Paper Tiger features the pair opposite Miles Teller (Eternity) in a crime thriller about two brothers who pursue the American dream, and get entangled with the Russian mafia. Here’s everything we know so far:
What is Paper Tiger about?
Paper Tiger is directed by James Gray (Ad Astra, Armageddon Time), and is a period piece set in 1980s New York, centring around the relationship between brothers Gary (Driver) and Irwin (Teller). Gary is the more headstrong, self-assured of the two, an ex-cop with big ambitions in life. Irwin, meanwhile, is described as nerdier, an engineer who also has aspirations for something better. It’s not long into the film before Gary shows up at Irwin’s house one evening with an idea for them to both get rich, involving a deal with Russian businessmen. With Irwin unaware of the potential risks and keen for his children to be able to go to college in the future, he’s easily roped into the scheme.
The businessmen, however, are part of the Russian mafia, and things begin to get very complicated. Gary is already in debt to them and finds that getting out of said debt is not an easy feat. Irwin might find himself surprisingly valuable to the Mafia for his advanced engineering skills, but stepping out of line could mean the difference between life and death. Meanwhile, Johansson plays Hester, Irwin’s wife, and the mother of their children, who both look up to their uncle Gary and his slick ways.
What the trailer tells us
Neon has just dropped the teaser trailer, and it fills in a lot of the picture. The footage tracks the brothers moving through Queens and Brooklyn against a muted, hard-edged version of New York, as the promise of easy money curdles into real danger. The trailer also confirms a rounded-out supporting cast, including Gavin Goudey, Roman Engel, Cindy Katz, Yavor Vesselinov and Victor Ptak.
Tonally, it looks like it will play less like a straightforward gangster thriller and more like a slow-burn family drama, with dread creeping steadily into the Pearl household, every much in keeping with Gray’s quieter, more intimate register.
Is there a release date?
Paper Tiger is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on November 13th, followed by a nationwide expansion the following week. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer below.
