City of Blows

A travelogue of purgatory. Brutal, but minutely rendered Guillermo del Toro

Its early 2020, and legendary producer Jacob Rosenthal is eager to make his next film,Coal, adapted from the bestselling novel by the celebrated writer Rex Patterson. The projectwhich takes on the controversial topic of race in Americais Jacobs envisioned magnum opus, and likely his swan song.

He selects David Levit to direct, a major opportunity for the classically trained actor/director whose own films, while garnering critical acclaim, have not resulted in box office success. But the announcement of Davids hiring doesnt sit well with a producer from Davids past, Brad Shlansky, who channels the last remaining vestiges of his creativity into a revenge plot that could very well scupper the making ofCoal, and ruin the lives of its producer and director in the process.

A sprawling, character-driven depiction of the modern film industry,City of Blowsreaches back decades to the formative experiences of each of the novels central figures to explore what first motivated them to become involved in the quixotic and often venal world of movie-making. Driven by their diverse backgrounds, each must navigate the same huckstering circus that puts films on screen.