Latest news with #OttessaMoshfegh
Geek Tyrant
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Tilda Swinton and Director David Lowery Team Up for Whodunnit Thriller DEATH IN HER HANDS — GeekTyrant
Tilda Swinton and director David Lowery are joining forces for a new film that sounds eerie, cerebral, and totally unclassifiable. The movie is titled Death in Her Hands , and it's based on Ottessa Moshfegh's 2020 novel. It's the latest project from See-Saw Films, the same outfit behind The Power of the Dog and The King's Speech , and it tells a very unique whodunnit story. Swinton plays Vesta Gul, 'a woman striving to take control of her own story' and she comes across a chilling handwritten note in the woods near her home: 'Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body.' 'Except there is no body. No blood. Unmoored by the death of her husband and armed only with a camera, her dog Charlie, and her vivid imagination, Vesta becomes obsessed with uncovering Magda's identity and fate. 'As her inner world begins to eclipse reality, the mystery of Magda threatens Vesta's grip on her own life – until, in a spellbinding operatic climax, we realize that Magda's death may finally allow Vesta to live.' David Lowery, best known for genre-bending films like The Green Knight , A Ghost Story , and The Old Man & the Gun , is writing and directing. He said in a statement: 'I am a devoted fan of Ottessa Moshfegh, and the opportunity to translate Death In Her Hands to the big screen has been, in some ways, a subterfuge for getting to spend a great deal of time obsessing over her prose. But now the ruse is up! 'The script begot by the novel will soon become a film, and I am suddenly aware more than ever that adapting this particular work represents a devious challenge (anyone who's read the novel will understand why)! 'But I'm ready for it, and am emboldened to have such wonderful collaborators at my side: the whole team at See-Saw, Jeanie, and of course, the incredible Tilda Swinton, who I know will illuminate Ottessa's story in ways I could only dream of.' Swinton, as usual, feels like the perfect choice. She's an actor who thrives on complexity, and knows how to walk that fine line between grounded human emotion and uncanny surrealism. Producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman shared: 'David Lowery is a master of crafting striking, atmospheric stories, and there's no one better to bring Ottessa Moshfegh's haunting and brilliant novel to the screen. We can't wait for audiences to step into the world he creates and be swept away by Vesta's story, played by the incomparable, magnetic, and endlessly compelling Tilda Swinton.' Production is backed by See-Saw Films with Jeanie Igoe also producing, and Simon Gillis and Ann Phillips serving as executive producers. Swinton will next appear opposite Colin Farrell in Edward Berger's The Ballad of a Small Player . Meanwhile, Lowery continues his streak of projects that resist simple genre labels, instead offering something far weirder, richer, and more haunting.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The best short books to take on your summer holiday, all less than 200 pages long
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - By You know the feeling: your suitcase is packed, your out-of-office is on and you're ready for a week of baking sun. Then comes the all-important question: which book should you take? Ideally, you want something short enough to finish before you land by the pool, but gripping enough to cast aside any haziness from last night's cocktails. Enter the under-200-page wonder: books that are slim in size but pack a punch. Whether you're after sharp satire, lyrical love stories, or gothic gore, these small-but-mighty reads will slip right into your beach bag. Even better? They'll mean no excess baggage charges, even if you're flying budget. The best short books to take on holiday Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata This quirky, wry story follows Keiko, a Japanese convenience store worker who's never fit in anywhere before. But despite her contentment in the role, Keiko's social circle can't understand why an unmarried woman is spending her time stacking shelves. As pressure mounts for her to find a new job, or worse, a husband, she's forced to take drastic action… 178 pages £9.99 Shop McGlue by Ottessa Moshfegh She may be most famous for her shocking and hilarious book My Year of Rest and Relaxation, but Moshfegh's first release, the novella McGlue, is every bit as strange and gripping. Set in 1851 Salem, McGlue is in custody after allegedly killing his best friend in a drunken rage. He's remorseless, however, despite the foggy recollections of the incident in question. 128 pages £8.99 Shop West by Carys Davies When Cy Bellman, American settler and widowed father of Bess, reads in the newspaper that huge ancient bones have been discovered in a Kentucky swamp, he leaves his small Pennsylvania farm and young daughter to find out if the rumours are true: that the giant monsters are still alive, and roam the uncharted wilderness beyond the Mississippi River. This novella is crisp, poignant and atmospheric, perfect for those who loved Where the Crawdads Sing. 160 pages £9.99 Shop The Passion by Jeanette Winterson Henri has a passion for Napoleon – but Napoleon has a passion for chicken. As the soldier and emperor butcher their way across Europe, glory falls to ruin and love to hate. But, when Henri encounters the red-haired, web-footed Villanelle, he discovers in her an equal. Together, they abandon their pasts and flee to the Venetian canals to meet their singular destiny... 176 pages £9.99 Shop Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote Immortalised by Audrey Hepburn's iconic performance in the 1961 film, Breakfast at Tiffany's is a dazzling portrait of 1940s New York. It follows socialite Holly Golightly, a social climber and stunning heartbreaker, her questionable relationships and her search for a place she belongs. 160 pages £8.99 Shop Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain This stunning novella tells the piercing love story between 15-year-old Marianne Clifford and 18-year-old Simon Hurst, destined to go far as a clever, beautiful and privileged teen. But fate intervenes. Simon's plans are blown off course, and Marianne is forced to bury her dreams of a future together. 192 pages £8.99 Shop Foster by Claire Keegan Booker-shortlisted author Claire Keegan's novella tells the story of a girl sent to live with a foster family on a sweltering Irish farm. There, she finds affection she's not known before and begins to blossom – until a secret threatens her fragile new happiness. 96 pages £9.99 Shop So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell This evocative masterpiece by one of America's greatest novelists tells the story of two Illinois farmers who share too much until finally, jealousy leads to murder and suicide. A tenuous friendship between lonely teenagers - the narrator, whose mother has died young, and Cletus Smith, the troubled witness to his parents' misery - is shattered. The boys never speak again, and only fifty years on can the narrator attempt a reconstruction of those devastating events. 176 pages £9.99 Shop This is Pleasure by Mary Gaitskill This nuanced take on #MeToo, power and consent is told from two perspectives. The first is Quin, a male publisher undone by allegations of sexual impropriety; the second his loyal friend Margot, trying to understand and explain his actions. It's an unflinching look at the moral complexities of the 21st-century world, and perfect for anyone after a thought-provoking read. 96 pages £6.99 Shop We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson This cult favourite gothic novella follows Merricat and her sister Constance, who live in isolation after most of their family died of arsenic poisoning. When cousin Charles arrives, armed with overtures of friendship and a desperate need to get into the safe, Merricat must do everything in her power to protect her remaining family. 176 pages £9.99 Shop
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tilda Swinton to Star in David Lowery's ‘Death in Her Hands' From See-Saw Films
David Lowery has a new film in the works with Tilda Swinton set to star. 'Death in Her Hands' — described as an 'anarchic whodunnit' and 'an otherworldly psychological thriller' — is adapted by Lowery ('A Ghost Story,' 'The Green Knight') from the cult novel by Ottessa Moshfegh ('My Year of Rest and Relaxation'). More from Variety Colombia Takes Center Stage at Cannes, led by Simón Mesa Soto's 'A Poet' in Un Certain Regard Luke Evans Joins Noomi Rapace in 'Traction,' Action-Thriller Set in Chechnya (EXCLUSIVE) Neon Names Cinetic's Ryan Werner as President of Global Cinema See-Saw Films, the Oscar-winning powerhouse behind 'The Power of the Dog,' 'The King's Speech' and 'One Life' (and, on the TV front, 'Slow Horses' and 'Heartstopper'), is on board to produce. in 'Death in Her Hands,' while walking in the woods near her new home, recent widow Vesta Gul (Swinton) comes across a chilling handwritten note: 'Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body.' Except there is no body. No blood. Unmoored by the death of her husband and armed only with a camera, her dog Charlie, and her vivid imagination, Gul becomes obsessed with uncovering Magda's identity and fate. As the synopsis reads, 'as her inner world begins to eclipse reality, the mystery of Magda threatens Vesta's grip on her own life — until, in a spellbinding operatic climax, we realise that Magda's death may finally allow Vesta to live.' The film will be produced by Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Jeanie Igoe; executive producers are Simon Gillis and Ann Phillips. Cross City Films, See-Saw's in-house sales arm, are teaming up with WME Independent to secure financing at Cannes. 'I am a devoted fan of Ottessa Moshfegh, and the opportunity to translate 'Death In Her Hands' to the big screen has been, in some ways, a subterfuge for getting to spend a great deal of time obsessing over her prose. But now the ruse is up!' said Lowery, currently in post on 'Mother Mary.' 'The script begot by the novel will soon become a film, and I am suddenly aware more than ever that adapting this particular work represents a devious challenge (anyone who's read the novel will understand why)! But I'm ready for it, and am emboldened to have such wonderful collaborators at my side: the whole team at See-Saw, Jeanie, and of course, the incredible Tilda Swinton, who I know will illuminate Ottessa's story in ways I could only dream of.' Added producers Canning and Sherman: 'David Lowery is a master of crafting striking, atmospheric stories, and there's no one better to bring Ottessa Moshfegh's haunting and brilliant novel to the screen. We can't wait for audiences to step into the world he creates and be swept away by Vesta's story, played by the incomparable, magnetic, and endlessly compelling Tilda Swinton.' Swinton is repped by Hamilton Hoddell, CAA and Peikoff Mahan. Lowery is repped by WME and Victoria Cook at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
