Elle Fanning, Ben Foster find love amid bloody escape in haunting Galveston trailer

Home to brine-washed piers dotted with comfort food and amusement park rides, the beaches of eastern Texas have long provided a sun-kissed escape for southbound tourists. But the trailer for actress–director Mélanie Laurent’s new thriller Galveston frames a (bloody) escape of a different kind for two unlikely lovers against the backdrop of her latest film’s titular locale.

Based on True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto’s novel of the same name, Galveston follows a boozy hit man named Roy (Ben Foster) who becomes the victim of a double-crossing scheme. Outsmarting his foes, however, Roy beats his would-be assassins to the punch, and reluctantly frees a fellow target, Rocky (Elle Fanning), and escapes with her in tow. The pair eventually seeks refuge in the seaside city, though Rocky unexpectedly embroils a child in their runaway plot while Roy’s former boss tracks them down.

Following its world premiere at South by Southwest in March, Galveston drew decent critical reviews — with particular praise going toward the performances of Fanning and Foster.

Originally slated to screen at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, where Laurent’s brilliant film Breathe screened four years ago, the project was ultimately pulled from the lineup due to scheduling conflicts with the cast and crew. Rosamund Pike’s Marie Colvin biopic A Private War instead slid into the film’s vacant gala slot at the prestigious Canadian event.

Galveston — also starring Adepero Oduye, Lili Reinhart, and Beau Bridges — hits limited theatrical release, VOD, and digital HD beginning Oct. 19. Watch the film’s new trailer above.