We've all heard the old adage, the truth will find you.
And no statement could be more true for actor Kevin Spacey after 2017. That year, Spacey was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy, along with a dozen other stories of harassment that surfaced around that time, and the allegations effectively ended his big-time acting career.
In fact, the last few titles Spacey fans likely saw were released nearly five years ago, including 2017's box-office hit, Baby Driver, and the House of Cards episodes that covered Spacey's departure.
Since 2017, however, the occasional new, small, or independent production company chose to take a chance on Spacey, likely ranking his name and years of experience ahead of the charges. In each of these films, Spacey was given a small, side character role.
Set to release later in 2022, however, is Peter Five Eight, which is the first film in which Spacey is slotted as the lead male character, disturbingly, as a serial killer.
Here is the synopsis for the film:
"Sam, (Jet Jandreau) A seemingly poised and glamorous real estate agent in a small mountain community is revealed to be an unhinged and troubled alcoholic with a dark secret, when a charismatic man named Peter (Kevin Spacey) shows up in town one day."
"As she tries to keep her life from unraveling, an older co-worker named Brenda (Rebecca De Mornay) is targeted by Peter for information at the behest of his powerful and shadowy boss, Mr. Lock. Nothing will ever be the same again in this little town."
The first trailer was released on the Cannes Market earlier this week, as well, which you can see here:
Peter Five Eight - Official Trailer starring Kevin Spaceyyoutu.be
The general consensus is that the film looks laughable, amateurish, and poorly produced. But the worst comments seem to be about the movie poster and the tagline for the film.
The poster appears to be themed and enhanced as an '80s or '90s film. Jandreau appears to be going for a "shocked and sultry" look, while De Mornay appears utterly disturbed, her sightline moving straight to Spacey, who is poised in a "cool guy shooter stance."
But the worst thing about the poster is the tagline for Peter Five Eight:
"The guilty always pay the price."
Twitter couldn't help but think this was a commentary on the allegations circling around Spacey, and the impact they had on his acting career. It also suggests a certain note of confession, martyrdom, and narcissism, by placing the onus on what the guilty has lost, rather than what he has done.
The tagline of the new Kevin Spacey movie is really something.pic.twitter.com/dSJu9oOHrW— Patrick Moore (@Patrick Moore) 1652972485
Needless to say, Twitter was not impressed.
Ooooo can't wait to not go.— Canal Lass \ud83d\udef6\ud83c\udf0a\u270c\ufe0f\u262e\ufe0f\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f (@Canal Lass \ud83d\udef6\ud83c\udf0a\u270c\ufe0f\u262e\ufe0f\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f) 1652995571
Thanks for letting me know about a movie to pass up— \ud83d\udca5\ud83e\ude90\u26a1\ufe0f\u2728\ud83d\udd25\u2620\ufe0f\ud83d\udd25\u2728\u26a1\ufe0f\ud83e\ude90\ud83d\udca5 (@\ud83d\udca5\ud83e\ude90\u26a1\ufe0f\u2728\ud83d\udd25\u2620\ufe0f\ud83d\udd25\u2728\u26a1\ufe0f\ud83e\ude90\ud83d\udca5) 1652996996
Someone in the marketing department has a sense of humor— Midwest Agenda (@Midwest Agenda) 1652973726
So, we're not surprised that a rich white guy gets his career back after sexual assault aligations, right?— KS Hernandez (@KS Hernandez) 1652729913
hollywood really is the worst of it tbh— l'internef (@l'internef) 1652566983
Old fans of Spacey or avid moviegoers might be the key audience for this film, though it's unclear exactly what to expect from the trailer and poster.
For most onlookers, however, there's likely too much commentary about Space's choices for their tastes.
