Strange Way of Life Trailer Stars Pedro Pascal, Ethan Hawke

May 28, 2023

The girlies are going to be sat for this one. Nearly 20 years after Pedro Almodóvar refused to direct Brokeback Mountain because he knew Hollywood wouldn’t let him make the movie explicit enough, we’re finally getting a gay western from the Spanish auteur and queer-cinema champion. Strange Way of Life has everything: sex symbol Pedro Pascal, salt-and-pepper baddie Ethan Hawke, and a star of Netflix’s horny, pulpy teen drama Elite, Manu Ríos. It has Almodóvar’s signature style: exaggerated acting, a visual palette with touches of crimson and blue, extreme close-ups, and sexually tense two-shots, per the trailer, above. Strange Way of Life tells the story of Sheriff Jake (Ethan Hawke) and Silva (Pedro Pascal), former friends/potential lovers who reunite in Bitter Creek after a couple of decades. They reunite not to rekindle their relationship, but to investigate a murder. The director’s sophomore English featurette premieres at Cannes Film Festival. Pascal stans, indie-cinema heads, and Almodóvar obsessives have much to look forward to. Thanks to Sony Pictures Classics, Strange Way of Life will make its way to theaters in New York City and Los Angeles on October 4, ahead of a nationwide release on October 6.

This post has been updated.