This is becoming a thing, apparently, trailers for movies that make me go NOPE. First it was Everest (NOPE), then it was The Martian (NOOOOPE), and now it’s the trailer for Alejandro Amenabar’s new thriller Regression, starring Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke. Amenabar made the most excellent The Others (still one of Nicole Kidman’s best performances), and this looks like another atmospheric, nerve-wracking thriller that probably has a twist tucked away somewhere. It’s about repressed memories and maybe also a cult, and it’s set in 1990, the height of Satanic Panic, in which repressed/recovered memories played a big role—chances are there’s a surprise or two being concealed by the trailer.
Which is totally fine, because the trailer works regardless. Hawke stars as Detective Kenner, the man investigating Emma Watson’s Angela and whatever it is she doesn’t want to talk about. I’m reluctant to do too much digging because The Others depended on not knowing too much about it before seeing it, and Regression has that same vibe. This movie clearly wants to surprise us—let it. In the meantime, let’s enjoy Hermione and Remus Lupin reuniting on screen, co-starring in a movie that also features extras from Eyes Wide Shut. There is definitely a creepy cult angle that is disturbing, potentially, Deeply Disturbing. How do people get sucked into cults? I’m so fascinated by this. Explain it to me, Professor Lupin.
