Virginia Film Festival

In preparation for her upcoming acting role, Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), a rising celebrity, deeply involves herself in the lives of Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Gracie’s much younger husband, Joe (Charles Melton). The couple, once infamous due to a highly publicized romantic entanglement over two decades ago, now lead a seemingly normal, private life. As Elizabeth attempts to connect with the family, unsettling truths about their past scandal resurface, bringing suppressed emotions to the forefront and potentially unraveling their family dynamic.

Director Todd Haynes (Carol) crafts a dramatic narrative that explores the societal fixation on celebrity and trauma, revealing how this fixation that often disguises itself as curiosity harbors an undercurrent of malice.  May December explores the consequences faced by a family reliant on performance as they face the scrutiny of an outsider’s gaze.

“This is by far Haynes’ funniest film to date, with shades of Almodóvar in its dramatic zooms and heightened domestic tension.” –Little White Lies, Hannah Strong