Amidst rumors that his latest film The Shrouds could be his last, David Cronenberg was in attendance at Cannes recently for its world premiere. And so far the response has been mixed with a 54% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s still quite early and a larger sampling will tell us more. Hopefully, the film will find U.S. distribution soon.
A new trailer could help make that happen. The Shrouds stars Vincent Cassel as Karsh, an innovative businessman and widower who fashions a unique device that allows grieving family members to watch their deceased loved ones decompose in real-time. When someone breaks into Karsh’s cemetery and begins desecrating graves, including that of his wife, he must discover who and why.
Also in the cast are Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce, and Sandrine Holt. Cronenberg wrote and directed the film, his first since 2022’s Crimes of the Century. An exploration of grief, Cronenberg has talked about the “personal” and “autobiographical” nature of the story.
Here’s the synopsis: Karsh, 50, is a prominent businessman. Inconsolable since the death of his wife, he invents GraveTech, revolutionary and controversial technology that enables the living to monitor their dear departed in their shrouds. One night, multiple graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are desecrated. Karsh sets out to track down the perpetrators.
