Exclusive: Alia Shawkat and Janet McTeer Play a Harrowing Game in This Clip From Amber Tamblyn’s Paint It Black

We’ve been very much looking forward to Amber Tamblyn’s directorial feature film debut, Paint It Black, starring Alia Shawkat and Janet McTeer. Now, thanks to Imagination Worldwide, we have been given an exclusive clip from the film, which you can watch above!

Paint It Black is based on a novel of the same name by Janet Fitch. Here’s the official synopsis according to the film’s IMDb page:

“What happens to a dream when the dreamer is gone? PAINT IT BLACK is the story of the aftermath of Michael’s death, and Josie’s struggle to hold onto the true world he shared with her. As Josie searches for the key to understanding his death, she finds herself both repelled and attracted to Michael’s pianist mother, Meredith, who holds Josie responsible for her son’s torment. Soon, the two women find themselves drawn into a twisted relationship reflecting equal parts distrust and blind need.”

In the clip above, it seems that their “twisted relationship” finally goes too far, pushing Alia Shawkat’s Josie into some serious desperation. I’m already loving not only Shawkat’s raw performance, but the use of color and stillness in the film. There’s this coiled tension between the two women that’s palpable, and I’m excited to see how the entire film has turned out.

Paint It Black opens THIS WEEKEND, on May 19th.

(featured image: Brian Rigney Hubbard/Imagination Worldwide)

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—