ELLE Trailer

Paul Verhoeven returned to the Cannes Film Festival and to critical favor with his newest movie, Elle. Now that the unusual rape-revenge story is about to be unleashed on the wide world, the remaining question is whether it can be financially viable.

Isabelle Huppert stars as said victim, who is otherwise a successful business executive and a fiercely take charge kind of woman. With someone like Huppert as the lead, I’m guessing the film is as much a dive into the psychology of the character as it is a straight thriller. She certainly pops with a palpable inner life in the trailer, and I’m guessing that much of the film will leave audiences in the dark about what she’s planning to do next.

While many film fans find such unpredictability exciting, others are satisfied with familiar characters and plots. Elle certainly doesn’t look like a predictable movie, and having Verhoeven behind it won’t do anything to put audiences at ease. The man behind Basic Instinct’s infamous leg cross and Starship Troopers’ hilarious violence doesn’t stay within comfortable boxes, so you should know going in that the film will push you out of your comfort zone.

If that sort of thing is your cup of tea, then you should be getting excited for Elle. Whether that will attract enough of an audience to turn a profit remains to be seen.

Elle is directed by Paul Verhoeven and stars Isabelle Huppert, Christian Berkel, and Anne Consigny. It will be released in the U.S. on November 11th, 2016 and in the U.K. on February 24th, 2017. For international release dates, click here.

Do you think Elle will attract a wide audience? Let us know in the comments!