Nicole Kidman isn’t one to shy from darker films like last year’s crippling The Killing of a Sacred Deer, but Destroyer may see her at her most transformed. She’s as scorched as the desert surroundings, more than a few screws short, and on a path to violent retribution. It looks to be a blistering, emotionally exhausting ride.
The film sees Kidman as LAPD detective Erin Bell who survived an undercover stint with a gang in the California desert that met a tragic end. Several years later that gang leader reappears, and she has to work her way through the remaining members while facing her own past demons. Will this be a sort of Kill Bill with cops and robbers? Maybe. No matter what, though, it looks to be one to watch out for this winter.
Karyn Kusama is directing. Her previously credits include Jennifer’s Body which I would argue is better than most people think, and The Invitation which I would argue is worse than most people think. Neither of those, however, looks anything nearly as moody and stark as this.
Destoryer will reach theaters in New York and Los Angeles on December 25, 2018 before expanding in January.