Shia LaBeouf returns to the big screen in what could be an awards-season favorite with the gripping thriller Man Down, arriving in theaters December 2 from Lionsgate Premiere. The studio has released the first trailer, poster and a new photo for Man Down, which will go up against Relativity's thriller Kidnap and High Top Releasing's horror film Incarnate. It remains to be seen how wide a release Man Down will have when it opens, or if it will expand throughout the holiday season.
When U.S. Marine Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) returns home from his tour in Afghanistan, he finds that the place he once called home is no better than the battlefields he fought on overseas. Accompanied by his best friend Devin Roberts (Jai Courtney), a hardnosed Marine whose natural instinct is to shoot first and ask questions later, he searches desperately for the whereabouts of his estranged son, Johnathan (Charlie Shotwell), and wife, Natalie (Kate Mara). In their search, the two intercept Charles (Clifton Collins Jr.), a man carrying vital information about the whereabouts of Gabriel's family.
As we revisit the past, we are guided in unraveling the puzzle of Gabriel's experience and what will eventually lead us to finding his family. The psychological suspense thriller Man Down also stars Gary Oldman, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Christopher Berry and Tory Kittles. Shia LaBeouf has been winning rave reviews for his performance since the film made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall.
Shia LaBeouf revealed in an interview last year that the process of playing Gabriel Drummer was "therapeutic" for him, since director Dito Montiel offered him the role at a very low point in his life. Production took place in New Orleans on the Lionsgate thriller back in late 2014, with Dito Montiel directing from a script by Adam G. Simon. The writer had previously written Synapse starring Henry Simmons and an upcoming film The Pawn, which will mark Man Down star Clifton Collins Jr.'s directorial debut.
It remains to be seen whether or not Man Down will actually emerge as an awards season favorite, but it would certainly mark quite the comeback for Shia LaBeouf, who was making more headlines for his antics off the set a few years ago. The actor has put together a number of interesting cultural experiments over the years that fans could follow online, such as a recent experiment where he hitchhiked across the country for a month. Take a look at the first trailer, photo and poster for Man Down below.
