Hypnotic: Ben Affleck stars in mind-bending trailer for Robert Rodriguez thriller

After a work-in-progress version of Robert Rodriguez’s Hypnotic was screened at SXSW, audiences were pumped to see the whole thing. The first trailer for Hypnotic was released today, which gives us a taste of the psychological thriller starring Ben Affleck.

Ben Affleck stars as Danny Rourke, an Austin detective determined to find his missing daughter. Instead, he finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole while investigating a series of reality-bending bank robberies where he will ultimately call into question his most basic assumptions about everything and everyone in his world. Rourke is aided by Diana Cruz (Alice Braga), an unnervingly gifted psychic, while he simultaneously pursues and is pursued by a lethal specter (William Fichtner) – the one man he believes holds the key to finding the missing girl – only to discover more than he ever bargained for. As Rourke discovers in the trailer, those with hypnotic abilities can force others to see and do almost anything they can imagine.

Robert Rodriguez has said that he wrote the initial screenplay for Hypnotic back in 2002, calling it “one of my favorite stories” and “one of the ones I’ve had the longest that I’ve been wanting to do.” The director described Hypnotic as a “Hitchcock thriller on steroids… It’s that kind of a movie. A lot of twists, a lot of turns. Very Exciting.” The film didn’t have the easiest time making its way to the big screen. As with many films shot over the past few years, Hypnotic experienced pandemic-related delays, but the production was also shut down on three different occasions and was involved in an insurance lawsuit. The film spent two years in post-production without a domestic buyer, but the trailer certainly makes Hypnotic seem like it could be a fun ride.

In addition to directing Hypnotic, Rodriguez co-wrote the script with Max Borenstein (Godzilla vs Kong). The film also stars J.D. Pardo (Mayans MC), Hala Finley (We Can Be Heroes), Dayo Okeniyi (Shades of Blue), Jeff Fahey (Lost), and Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen).

What did you think of the Hypnotic trailer? Will you be watching when it hits theaters on May 12th?