Sanctuary trailer: Margaret Qualley, Christopher Abbott star in comedic thriller

NEON will be giving the darkly comedic thriller Sanctuary a limited theatrical release on May 19th, with a wider expansion to follow on June 2nd. And since those dates aren’t very far away at this point, they have unveiled a trailer for the film, which you can check out in the embed above.

Directed by Zachary Wigon (The Heart Machine) from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg, co-creator of the Amazon Prime Video series Homecoming, Sanctuary has the following synopsis: A wickedly dark comedy follows dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), and her wealthy client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), as they engage in a high stakes role playing game for power and control. In the wake of inheriting his father’s hotel chain, Hal attempts to end his long and secret relationship with Rebecca. A battle of wills ensues over the course of one incredibly fraught night, with both Rebecca and Hal struggling to keep the upper hand as the power dynamics swing wildly back and forth.

Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Christopher Abbott (Possessor) are the only two listed cast members. The film was produced by David Lancaster, Stephanie Wilcox, Ilya Stewart, and Pavel Burian.

Surprisingly, this isn’t the first movie Abbott has made that focused largely on what happens between a man and a female sex worker in a hotel room. He also starred in the 2018 film Piercing as a man who invites a prostitute (played by Mia Wasikowska) to a hotel room with the intention of killing her.

What did you think of the Sanctuary trailer? Does this look like a movie you would want to watch in the upcoming months? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

Sanctuary looks interesting to me, and since I have already seen Piercing I figure I might as well watch this other “Christopher Abbott and a sex worker in a hotel room” thriller. So a viewing of Sanctuary is definitely in my future.