‘Eric LaRue’ reaction from Tribeca Festival: Judy Greer is ‘unforgettable’ in Michael Shannon’s ‘haunting, standout’ directorial debut
A month away from potentially receiving his first Emmy nomination, Michael Shannon is branching out into directing with “Eric LaRue,” Brett Neveu’s adaptation of his own 2002 play. Following a mother seeking some semblance of normalcy in a town rocked by the horrific act of violence perpetrated by her son against three classmates, the movie just premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival to significant acclaim for its leading lady, veteran character actor Judy Greer. Considering the subject, comparisons to “We Need to Talk About Kevin” and “Mass” are unsurprising.
Alexander Skarsgård co-stars as Greer’s born-again husband, and Paul Sparks (with whom Shannon has worked on “Boardwalk Empire” and “Waco”), Alison Pill (“The Newsroom”), Tracy Letts (“Lady Bird”), Annie Parisse (“The Following”), Kate Arrington (“George & Tammy”) and Nation Sage Henrikson (“Shameless”) comprise the rest of the main cast. David Rooney (The Hollywood Reporter) calls the acting “uncommonly strong across the board for a modestly scaled indie” and gives considerable praise to Greer and Skarsgård: “It’s particularly interesting watching Skarsgård dial back his natural magnetism to play an unsophisticated milquetoast with a bad haircut and a style-free dad uniform, his weakness steering him to easy solutions…But Greer’s is the performance that keeps you riveted.”
Samantha Bergeson (IndieWire) says Shannon’s “haunting, standout” directorial debut “deftly balances moments of dark comedy thanks to the absurdity of the circumstances that unfold after an unthinkable tragedy” and features “a career-best performance from Greer.” She’s echoed by Pete Hammond (Deadline), who thinks Shannon’s “own stellar acting chops [helped] him bring out sensational performances all around including Greer’s in the kind of role this veteran actress, known mostly for comedy, has never been given.” “She is unforgettable,” he declares. Marshall Shaffer (The Playlist) writes, “Shannon knows exactly what to do with everyone’s favorite on-screen best friend, guiding her to center stage with devastating impact. He gives his leading lady the space to be still and reserved so Greer’s moments of laying raw her unspoken pain land with that much more force.”
Speaking with Variety about his move toward filmmaking, one the two-time Oscar nominee “wasn’t predisposed” to make but felt was necessary out of fear that someone else would bungle the material, Shannon says, “Judy is super smart and very sensitive and has this huge emotional life that’s very present,” adding, “She doesn’t usually get the opportunity to do something like this, so this felt long overdue.” Greer reciprocates that fondness in our exclusive chat with her: “I’m always interested in what he wants to do next as a person or an artist and so when he called me and said he wanted to direct, I basically didn’t even have to read the script. Years ago I asked him if he wanted to direct and he said, ‘F*ck no,’ so I really had to do this movie because how did he go from ‘F*ck no’ to doing this beautiful, complicated story?”
“Eric LaRue,” which counts Shannon’s “Take Shelter” and “Midnight Special” director, Jeff Nichols, as a producer (their next collaboration, “The Bikeriders,” is due for release some time this year), is currently seeking distribution.
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