Loyalty, family and sacrifice will come to a head in a tight-knit fishing village in December, and today, Paramount has released the trailer for crime drama Finestkind, which stars Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega, and Tommy Lee Jones.
As per Paramount, Finestkind “tells the story of two brothers (Foster and Wallace), raised in different worlds, who are reunited as adults over a fateful summer. Set against the backdrop of commercial fishing, the story takes on primal stakes when desperate circumstances force the brothers to strike a deal with a violent Boston crime gang. Along the way, a young woman (Ortega) finds herself caught perilously in the middle. Sacrifices must be made, and bonds between brothers, friends, lovers, and a father (Jones) and his son are put to the ultimate test.”
Finestkind has some serious prestige behind it. In addition to the cast, the movie is written and directed by Brian Helgeland, whose directorial credits may not all be home runs (42, The Order) but whose screenwriting credits include L.A. Confidential and Mystic River, the former of which earned him a shared Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and the latter another nod. Both were also nominated for the Golden Globe.
While this is a strong cast, it might be worth noting that at one point Jake Gyllenhaal, Ansel Elgort and Zendaya were attached to the roles now occupied by Foster, Wallace and Ortega. The supporting cast also includes Tim Daly, Clayne Crawford and Aaron Stanford.
Based on the trailer, Finestkind looks like a pretty strong picture that calls to mind the sort of local dramas that capture an aspect of its setting’s specific character — something Helgeland did brilliantly with Mystic River. That this is the second movie this year with Tommy Lee Jones — after The Burial alongside Jamie Foxx — is also a major plus, especially considering he hadn’t been in a picture for a few years.
Finestkind premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where our own Chris Bumbray gave it a 7/10, calling it “a slick, well-made drama with a little edge and a lot of heart.”
Finestkind comes to Paramount+ on December 15th.