Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Julie Delpy (Before Midnight), and Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) star in The Lesson, billed as a taut noir thriller, with a story inspired by the experiences of debut feature screenwriter Alex MacKeith.

Directed by Alice Troughton (Cucumber, Baghdad Central), the film premieres at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival in the Spotlight Narrative section, and opens in theaters with a release date of July 7, 2023.

In the film, Daryl McCormack plays Liam, an aspiring and ambitious young writer, who eagerly accepts a tutoring position at the family estate of his idol, renowned author J.M. Sinclair (Richard E. Grant). But soon, Liam realizes that he is ensnared in a web of family secrets, resentment, and retribution. Sinclair, his wife Hélène (Julie Delpy), and their son Bertie (Stephen McMillan) all guard a dark past, one that threatens Liam’s future as well as their own. As the lines between master and protégé blur, class, ambition, and betrayal become a dangerous combination in this taut noir thriller.

Filmmaker Alice Troughton said, “I’ve always looked to explore genre where the female gaze has been historically excluded: Science fiction, horror, Westerns, and now film noir with this gift of a savage and subversive script capped with a dynamic female-driven twist.”

“We knew it was gripping and thrilling. What we didn’t realize is how savagely funny it would also turn out to be (which is short-sighted since, as well as an in-demand writer, Alex is also a brilliant stand-up comic). Richard E. Grant and Daryl McCormack had this brilliant ability to play both the wit and the danger of the situation, and we embraced this on the floor and in the cut. Their antagonism and understanding of each other is at the heart of the film.”

Watch the official trailer for The Lesson.