Tessa Thompson’s upcoming new film, The Listener, is an emotional study of the human condition.
As the sole actor that appears on-screen, Thompson plays Beth, a devoted crisis helpline worker who spends her nights in her living room with her beloved dog (played by her real life dog, Coltrane) as she fields calls from a host of people in need of an ear to listen and offer comfort in their most vulnerable moments. While she’s able to reach some of her callers, there are others who are beyond her help and the reality of that fragility weighs heavy on Beth.
With themes of isolation, loneliness, and resilience, the film serves to remind all that while we live in an age of technology, there is nothing as important as person to person connection.
“I think so much about the utility of stories: Why do we tell the stories that we tell?” Thompson told “Entertainment Weekly.” “I think a story that compels the audience to want to listen more actively — in a time when there’s so much division and dissension — is a really useful thing to be talking about.”
Written by Alessandro Camon and directed by award-winning actor Steve Buscemi (Ghost World, Reservoir Dogs), the film also stars (off-screen) Blu Del Barrio, Bobby Soto, Jamie Hector, Margaret Cho, Rebecca Hall, and Ricky Velez.
The Listener Set to premiere in theaters on March 29.
Watch the trailer below.
